Mbappé (2), Vini Jr., in a sublime display, Mastantuono, Bellingham and a Kehrer own goal, sealed a convincing fifth Champions League win.
French star Kylian Mbappé and Brazilian winger Vinícius Júnior inspired their team to rediscover lost momentum and return to winning ways in Europe’s most prestigious competition, bouncing back from their previous 2–1 defeat to English side Manchester City. The victory also handed Álvaro Arbeloa his first continental win and his second overall, following a 2–0 triumph over Levante in La Liga.
Arbeloa, who succeeded Xabi Alonso at the helm of Los Blancos, had begun his reign with a shock 3–2 defeat to second-division side Albacete, resulting in Real Madrid’s elimination from the Copa del Rey at the round of 16 stage.
That loss—coming on the back of a 3–2 defeat to arch-rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final, which closed the Alonso chapter—sparked anger among Madrid fans. Their frustration was directed at the players, particularly during the first half against Levante, with English midfielder Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior bearing the brunt of the criticism. Mbappé, however, escaped the jeers, while some supporters even called for club president Florentino Pérez to step down.
Still, Real Madrid may now have a rare opportunity to turn the page. Barcelona’s 2–1 loss to Real Sociedad allowed Madrid to cut the gap at the top of La Liga to just one point. Meanwhile, Tuesday’s win boosted their Champions League tally to 15 points, placing them second overall on a provisional basis.
Real Madrid struck early, opening the scoring after just five minutes when Mbappé followed up a Federico Valverde pass to fire home from a tight angle against his former club (5).
The French forward doubled his tally after Eduardo Camavinga cleverly redirected the ball, allowing Vinícius to surge forward and square it across goal for Mbappé to finish, scoring his 11th goal of the continental competition this season (26).
The hosts carried their momentum into the second half, with Argentine youngster Franco Mastantuono adding a third goal following Vinícius’ second assist of the night (51).
Under relentless pressure from the Madrid giants—driven largely by Vinícius’ constant movement—German defender Thilo Kehrer turned the ball into his own net (55). The Brazilian then capped a magnificent performance by unleashing a thunderous strike into the top corner to score a superb goal (63).
Although Dutchman Jordan Teze pulled one back for the visitors (72), Bellingham ensured his name was added to the scoresheet as well, rounding Swiss goalkeeper Philipp Köhn before finishing into an empty net (80).
