Mbappe hits a brace as Real Madrid demolish Valencia

Kylian Mbappe struck twice as Real Madrid crushed Valencia 4-0 in their La Liga clash at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday night, extending their dominant run under Xabi Alonso.

Vinicius Junior missed a first-half penalty, but the Brazilian’s miss barely mattered on a night when his teammates dazzled. Jude Bellingham and Alvaro Carreras also found the net as Los Blancos continued their fine form in both attack and defense.

Real were in complete control throughout the game, enjoying nearly 65 percent possession and firing 21 shots, 11 of which were on target. Valencia never came close to challenging Real, managing just four attempts, with only one troubling the goalkeeper.

The result strengthened Real’s position at the top of the table with 30 points from 11 matches, including 10 victories.

In another fixture of the day, Villarreal thumped Rayo Vallecano 4-0 to climb to second place with 23 points from 11 games, overtaking Barcelona. The Catalan giants, with one match in hand, slipped to third with 22 points.

Real’s aggressive start paid off in the 19th minute when Cesar Tarrega handled the ball inside the box. Mbappe, who missed a spot kick against Barcelona last week, made no mistake this time to give his team the lead and register a goal in his eighth consecutive La Liga appearance.

The French forward doubled the advantage in the 31st minute with a fine volley. Meeting a cross from Arda Guler near the byline, the 2018 World Cup winner fired home from close range to make it 2-0. With this, the reigning European Golden Boot holder continues to lead the league’s scoring chart with 13 goals in 11 matches.

Real won another penalty in the 42nd minute after Alvaro Carreras was fouled in the box. Although it was a golden chance for Mbappe to complete his hat-trick, Vinicius stepped up instead but saw his effort saved by the goalkeeper.

Moments later, Bellingham added Real’s third with a powerful strike from outside the box after receiving a pass from Federico Valverde. The English midfielder has now scored in three consecutive games as he continues to regain top form after injury.

Real eased their tempo in the second half, continuing to dominate possession. In the 62nd minute, Mbappe’s fierce shot was superbly denied by the Valencia goalkeeper.

Alonso made a double substitution in the 79th minute, replacing Mbappe and Vinicius with Rodrygo and Endrick, as the young Brazilian made his first appearance of the season.

Shortly after the changes, Carreras sealed the victory with a spectacular long-range effort. When Rodrygo’s attempt was blocked, the Spanish left-back pounced on the rebound and fired a thunderous shot into the far corner to make it 4-0.

Valencia almost grabbed a late consolation in the final minute, but Javi Guerra’s strike hit the far post.

With this emphatic victory, Real Madrid will carry strong momentum into their crucial UEFA Champions League tie against Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday.