Kylian Mbappe delivered a masterclass on Saturday, scoring a brace to elevate Real Madrid to a 3-2 victory over Leganes, leveling his tally at 33 targets in all competitions for the season, matching Cristiano Ronaldo’s first-year efficiency for Los Blancos in 2009-10.
Mbappe’s first aim got here from a exact Panenka penalty, however Madrid fell behind after targets from Diego Garcia and Dani Raba earlier than the break.
In the second half, Jude Bellingham equalized for Madrid, setting the stage for Mbappe’s free-kick to finish the turnaround and safe all three factors on the Santiago Bernabeu.
Madrid’s win pushed them stage on factors with Barcelona, who will face Girona on Sunday.
Despite a gradual begin to the season following his transfer from Paris Saint-Germain, Mbappe’s current type has drawn reward from coach Carlo Ancelotti.
“He’s making the distinction, and that’s what we would like from him,” Ancelotti mentioned, including that Mbappe has the potential to reside as much as Ronaldo’s legacy on the membership, however it should require exhausting work.
For Mbappe, the achievement of equaling Ronaldo’s aim tally was deeply vital. “It’s very special…to have the same number of goals as Cristiano is always good,” he said. “We know what he means for Real Madrid and for me personally; we communicate, and he provides me lots of recommendation.” But the French ahead emphasised that his final aim is to win trophies, reflecting Madrid’s lofty expectations.
The victory got here after a controversial penalty resolution early within the match, awarded when Oscar Rodriguez tangled with Arda Güler.
Mbappe’s penalty gave Madrid a short-lived lead, with Garcia shortly equalizing for Leganes.
Madrid then struggled as Leganes took the benefit earlier than halftime, however their resilience confirmed within the second half.
Bellingham’s fast response to a blocked shot leveled issues up, and Mbappe’s free-kick on 76 minutes proved decisive.
Ancelotti revealed that Mbappe had practiced his free-kick the day earlier than, and the execution proved spot-on.
With his second aim of the night time, Mbappe moved nearer to La Liga’s high scorer, Robert Lewandowski, trailing by only one aim.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid’s title hopes took one other blow after a 1-1 draw towards Espanyol. Cesar Azpilicueta’s gorgeous volley put Atletico forward, however a late penalty from Javi Puado earned Espanyol a degree.
Atletico’s goalkeeper Jan Oblak admitted their inconsistency is proving pricey, leaving them trailing within the race for the title.
Source: www.dailysabah.com