Kylian Mbappé haunted his former club with a clinical brace as Real Madrid romped to an emphatic 6-1 Champions League victory over Monaco on Tuesday. The result serves as a massive sigh of relief for new coach Álvaro Arbeloa, whose side produced a dazzling attacking display to move provisionally second in the league phase table.
Vinícius Júnior, who was jeered by his own fans during a home win over Levante last weekend, reminded the Bernabéu of his undeniable quality with a brilliant individual goal. Despite the complicated atmosphere of recent days, the Brazilian remained unselfish, later teeing up Franco Mastantuono to sweep home as the 15-time champions delivered their best performance of the season.
Mbappé opened the scoring just five minutes in, slotting home from inside the area to take his European tally to 11 goals for the campaign. The French superstar doubled his account following a devastating counter-attack sparked by Eduardo Camavinga, calmly tucking the ball away after being found by a pinpoint Vinícius cross.
“The players won this game with their effort and their quality,” Arbeloa told Movistar, praising the mentality and ambition his squad displayed throughout the rout. Jude Bellingham and an unfortunate Thilo Kehrer own goal rounded out the scoring, effectively erasing the memory of Arbeloa’s disastrous debut in the Copa del Rey.
While Monaco offered flashes of threat, including a Jordan Teze effort that rattled the crossbar, they were ultimately shredded by Madrid’s offensive intensity. With a top-eight finish now firmly in their sights, Los Blancos appear to have navigated their turbulent spell just in time for the business end of the competition.
