Kylian Mbappe couldn’t have picked a better time to score his first hat trick at home for Real Madrid than to put Los Blancos into the last 16 of the Champions League by defeating Manchester City 6-3 on aggregate. Mbappe opened the scoring in the fourth minute of a 3-1 win and proceeded to beat Manchester City with deft touches and strong finishes en route to an emphatic victory.
Playing like this, it’s clear what Real Madrid’s potential can be with Mbappe and that’s one of the best teams in the world. The front three of Vinicius Junior, Mbappe and Rodrygo has balance now that Mbappe is sticking to central areas instead of floating left and any of these players can hurt a team if given space. It’s a balance that few teams in the world can match and why, yet again, Los Blancos are among the leading contenders to win the Champions League.
That didn’t seem like the case as Mbappe was slow in integrating into the club but with six goals in his last four Champions League matches, the former PSG man is living up to the number nine on his back.
“I’ve said it in press conferences, I didn’t come here to play poorly. Fulfilling my dream was one thing, but I want to play well, make my mark, and write history at Real Madrid,” Mbappe said to Movistar following the match. “I knew I had to play with personality, and the adaptation period is over. Now, I have to show my quality.”
The goals speak for themselves at this point for Mbappe with 28 in all competitions but defeating City felt different. His first goal was a first-touch flick to take advantage of Ederson being out of position to put Madrid ahead only four minutes in.
For Mbappe’s second act, he was able to cap off a team move involving Fede Valverde, Vini Jr. and Rodrygo where City didn’t even know who to mark. This one is a great example of what makes Madrid so dangerous with Mbappe leading the line.
The Frenchman would save his best for last as the City defense closed down on him but he wouldn’t be denied his hat trick. While closing down, the defense couldn’t close down quickly enough to stop him before a powerful finish beat Ederson for yet another goal.
If this is the Mbappe that teams will see on a regular basis now that his adjustment period is over, the only team that will be able to stop Real Madrid are themselves which is just what was expected when Mbappe joined in the summer.
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