Kylian Mbappé scored his first hat-trick for Real Madrid, leading them to a 3-0 victory over struggling Valladolid and extending their lead in La Liga on Saturday.
Mbappé‘s earlier struggles with inconsistency and missed penalties during his early months with Madrid following his move from Paris Saint-Germain seem to be behind him. The France captain has been in excellent form, with back-to-back multi-goal performances, solidifying Madrid’s position at the top of the table. Atletico Madrid and Barcelona have been unable to keep pace, giving Madrid a commanding lead.
The match between the league leaders and the bottom team played out as expected, with Madrid dominating. Valladolid’s only real opportunity came in the opening moments when Thibaut Courtois made a save. From then on, it was all Madrid, and Mbappé continued to build momentum as he settled into life with the defending champions.
Madrid’s fourth consecutive win, combined with Atletico Madrid’s 1-1 draw with Villarreal, gave Carlo Ancelotti’s side a four-point lead over their city rivals. In third place, Barcelona trailed by 10 points before their match against Valencia on Sunday.
Mbappé scored in the 30th minute, finishing off a well-worked team move. A series of quick passes sliced through Valladolid’s defence, with Jude Bellingham assisting Mbappé. He doubled his tally in the 57th minute with a composed finish from a counterattack. Federico Valverde intercepted a Valladolid pass, and Mbappé fired a low shot from the left side of the box.
This marked his fourth consecutive game with a goal in all competitions, and in La Liga, Mbappé now has 15 goals, second only to Robert Lewandowski’s 16 for Barcelona. He scored twice in a 4-1 win over Las Palmas last weekend.
Vinícius Júnior, who was serving a two-game suspension, was missed, but his absence barely affected Madrid’s performance. Valladolid finished the match with 10 men after Mario Martín received a second yellow card in the 90th minute for a foul on Bellingham. This allowed Mbappé to complete his hat-trick with a penalty.
