Kylian Mbappe netted two goals to lead Real Madrid to a convincing 4-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano, a result that pulls the capital club level with Barcelona at the top of the La Liga standings. Following a recent league defeat to Real Betis, Jose Mourinho’s side regained their momentum on Saturday, establishing a commanding three-goal cushion by half-time.
Madrid opened the scoring in the 14th minute when Florian Lejeune committed a clumsy foul on Alvaro Carreras inside the area. Mbappe stepped up to the penalty spot and calmly sent goalkeeper Emil Audero the wrong way. The pressure continued shortly after when Lejeune surrendered possession under heavy duress from Vinicius Junior; Carreras capitalized on the error, exchanging a sharp one-two with Mbappe before firing home the second.
Jude Bellingham extended the lead further, netting his third goal of the season after Vinicius drove down the flank and cut the ball back for the English international. While Madrid controlled much of the first period, Rayo Vallecano attempted a second-half resurgence. Sergio Camello pulled one back in the 51st minute, pouncing on a loose ball after a mistake by Vinicius. The strike marked Camello’s sixth goal of the campaign, placing him alongside Raphinha and Mbappe in the league’s scoring charts.
Reflecting on the bounce-back performance, Mourinho noted the challenge of refocusing after recent European commitments. “It was fundamental to win, above all after losing the last game in La Liga,” he said. “We killed the game in the first half – that’s not easy, working like we did after the Champions League game, not just physically, but mentally.”
Despite the comfortable lead, Madrid faced late pressure. Pedro Diaz and Giorgi Tsitaishvili both forced critical saves from Thibaut Courtois, while Mbappe struck the post with a long-range effort. To stabilize the midfield, Mourinho introduced Arda Guler. “Arda is very good, he’s got a lot of quality, he influences the team’s play in a good way, and today he made a difference in terms of the stability of the game,” the manager added.
Guler eventually helped orchestrate the fourth goal, providing the assist for Mbappe’s stoppage-time finish, which brought the Frenchman’s season tally to seven goals across all competitions. Rayo manager Benat San Jose acknowledged the disparity in quality, stating, “Conceding the early penalty was a blow, then we had another mistake when bringing the ball out. We have to congratulate Madrid, but I’m proud of the players because the second half was much better.”
Real Madrid’s focus now shifts to their upcoming trip to face Elche on Tuesday, while Rayo Vallecano prepares to host Espanyol. Barcelona, currently leading the table, remain set to visit Levante on Sunday, aiming to maintain their perfect start to the season. The report also notes that looking to extend their 100 percent start to the campaign and restore their lead over Madrid, champions Barcelona visit Levante on Sunday. The report also notes that the club’s record signing Yan Diomande cut inside from the right flank with a rapid dribble that left Rayo’s defence scrambling but lashed his shot high and wide, handed a first start for Madrid. The report also notes that mbappe, who stated his case for why he should win the Ballon d’Or this week, almost added a second with a low drive. The report also notes that mourinho brought on Turkish midfielder Arda Guler to help regain some control. The report also notes that “I think we could have scored in the first half too, but it’s true that they were better ….
