French Star Nets First La Liga Goals in 2-0 Win at the Santiago Bernabéu
Kylian Mbappé responded to his critics in emphatic fashion, scoring his first La Liga goals to lead Real Madrid to a 2-0 victory over Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabéu on Sunday. The win propels Madrid to second place in the table, trailing leaders Barcelona by four points.
Since his debut goal for Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup against Atalanta, Mbappé had struggled to find the net in the team’s opening three La Liga matches, drawing criticism from the Spanish press. Despite squandering several chances earlier in the match, the French forward finally broke his drought in the 67th minute, slotting the ball past the Betis goalkeeper with his left foot after a slick back-heel assist from Fede Valverde.
Just eight minutes later, Mbappé doubled his tally from the penalty spot, sealing the victory for Madrid. The Santiago Bernabéu crowd erupted in applause as he was substituted for Luka Modric in the 84th minute, a clear sign of approval after weeks of scrutiny.
The relief on Mbappé’s face was evident, contrasting sharply with the tension that had surrounded him since his goal in the Super Cup and Madrid’s victory in Warsaw on August 14. Madrid’s head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, had defended Mbappé against the criticism, emphasizing that the star forward was adapting well to his new team.
“It’s true that he hasn’t scored, but he’s been playing very well and has been dangerous every time. I don’t think he has any problems adapting,” Ancelotti said, noting that the team’s overall balance was the issue rather than Mbappé’s form.
Real Madrid’s victory places them second in La Liga with eight points, four points behind Barcelona, who maintained their perfect record with a commanding 7-0 win over Real Valladolid on Saturday under new coach Hansi Flick. Atletico Madrid sits third after a late win in Bilbao, while Villarreal occupies fourth place, both teams also on eight points.
Girona is fifth after a 2-0 win over Sevilla, with Ivan Martin and Abel Ruiz finding the net. In other La Liga action, Alaves secured a 2-0 victory over Las Palmas with goals from Carlos Vicente and Luka Romero, while Osasuna edged Celta Vigo 3-2 in an exciting encounter. Despite being reduced to 10 men late in the game, Celta managed a late consolation goal through an own goal by Moi Gomez, but it was not enough to avoid defeat.
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