Their critics were answered in emphatic style by Real Madrid, who, thanks to the golden hat-trick of Kylian Mbappe, stormed to a 5-0 victory in a Champions League match against Kairat Almaty on the weekend and established his qualities and prioritised strength as a world-class player.
In the wake of an embarrassing 5-2 derby loss to Atletico Madrid in the La Liga, Carlo Ancelotti was under pressure on the squad. However, Mbappe, being the tone-setter, turned the goal into a penalty in the 25th minute following the foul to Franco Mastantuono inside the box.
Kairat, who participated in the Champions League first in their history, initially made a spark, but failed to keep pace with the intensity of Madrid. Mbappe bewitched his defenders with a dazzling feat in the 52nd minute, and glanced a light finish over the keeper, his second of the night. A decisive blow in the 73rd put a hat-trick on his record further strengthening his talismanic reputation.
Madrid weren’t done yet. Eduardo Camavinga scored in the 83rd minute through a timely assist by Rodrygo and Brahim Diaz scored in stoppage time to complete an excellent display.
In an interview after the game, Mbappe confessed that Madrid cannot afford to forget the events that took place on Saturday: We should never forget. It is another match, yet lessons should remain with us.
Since his arrival in Madrid, the French talent has not stopped and has already scored eight goals in seven games in La liga and five in Europe this season. The fact that he has scored 60 goals in the Champions League at age 25 speaks of his increasing legacy among the greats in the competition.
In Real Madrid’s case, the win provides momentum as the season enters the decisive months. Now that Mbappe has been at the forefront of the attack, Madrid has sent a message to their competitors: their loss in La Liga might have hurt, yet in Europe, they are still aiming high.
