Kylian Mbappé turned a nervy Real Madrid night into a one-man show.
The France captain scored three times as Madrid overcame a stubborn Real Sociedad side to win 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday, extending their perfect start to the LaLiga season.
Vinícius Júnior added the other goal as Madrid transformed a tense 1-1 contest at the interval into a comfortable victory after the break.
Mbappé breaks the deadlock
Madrid struggled to establish control early on. Sociedad looked dangerous on the counter, while Thibaut Courtois was forced into action to keep the visitors at bay.
The home supporters grew increasingly impatient as Madrid searched for a breakthrough.
It finally arrived in the 40th minute.
Federico Valverde found Mbappé with a precise pass through the Sociedad defence. The forward carried the ball into the box, created room for the shot and sent a powerful finish into the top corner.
But Madrid’s lead lasted only four minutes.
A scramble inside the home side’s penalty area fell kindly to Luka Sučić, who drove the ball into the bottom corner to level the match before half-time.
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Madrid find another gear
Whatever adjustments were made at the break worked.
Madrid returned with greater intensity, and Mbappé restored their advantage in the 60th minute.
This time, Jude Bellingham was the creator. The England midfielder exchanged passes with Mbappé inside the penalty area, opening a route for the striker to fire a low finish beyond Álex Remiro.
2-1 Madrid.
Eight minutes later, Bellingham was involved again.
His pressure helped Madrid regain possession, and he quickly fed Vinícius. The Brazilian made no mistake from close range, giving the hosts a two-goal cushion.
Hat-trick sealed
Mbappé wasn’t finished.
In the 80th minute, Vinícius slipped a clever pass behind the Sociedad defence. Mbappé timed his run perfectly, stayed composed and lifted the ball over Remiro.
4-1. Hat-trick. Game over.
The treble capped a performance in which Mbappé had been dangerous even before finding the net. Remiro had already stopped one early attempt, while another promising opportunity went begging before Madrid’s No. 9 eventually broke through.
Mourinho gets his Bernabéu return
The victory also marked a memorable return to the Bernabéu for José Mourinho, more than 13 years after his previous home game as Real Madrid manager.
His side had to work for the result, with Sociedad matching Madrid for long stretches and enjoying promising moments in the opening half.
But once Madrid increased the tempo after the interval, their finishing quality separated the teams.
The victory gives Madrid six points from their opening two league matches and puts them provisionally at the top of LaLiga.
For Mbappé, however, the headline is simpler:
Three goals. One statement performance. And another reminder of why Madrid brought him to the Bernabéu.