Kylian Mbappé delivered another spectacular performance at the Santiago Bernabéu, scoring a hat trick as Real Madrid defeated Real Sociedad 4-1 to make it two LaLiga victories in a row under returning manager José Mourinho.
Mbappé’s treble moved his Real Madrid goal tally to an astonishing 89 goals in 105 appearances, while Vinícius Júnior also found the net as Madrid pulled away after Sociedad had briefly threatened to spoil the Bernabéu celebration.
The victory also gave Mourinho a memorable homecoming. Thirteen years after his first spell in charge of Real Madrid ended, the Portuguese manager returned to the Bernabéu for his first home league match since taking charge again. The atmosphere was electric before kickoff, with Mourinho receiving a huge ovation when his name was announced.
There was another special moment before the match when Real Madrid full-back Marc Cucurella and Sociedad striker Mikel Oyarzabal were part of a guard of honor displaying the World Cup trophy Spain won during the summer.
Sociedad nearly ruined the party early. Oyarzabal came close to opening the scoring, but Thibaut Courtois produced an excellent leg save to keep Madrid level.
Real gradually took control, with Arda Güler and Jude Bellingham attempting to unlock a compact Sociedad defense. Vinícius forced a sharp save from Álex Remiro, while the Sociedad goalkeeper also held firm against an effort from Mbappé.
The pressure finally paid off five minutes before halftime. Federico Valverde advanced before finding Mbappé with a clever pass. The French forward’s first touch created just enough space, and he fired a superb left-footed shot beyond Remiro to put Madrid ahead.
Mbappé almost doubled the advantage moments later, but Sociedad responded before halftime.
Madrid were caught out by Sergio Gómez’s ball from deep, while Job Ochieng’s shot took a deflection and fell perfectly for Luka Sučić. The Sociedad midfielder made no mistake, beating Courtois with an emphatic finish to send the teams into halftime level at 1-1.
Real Madrid came out with renewed intensity after the break.
Remiro made impressive saves from both Mbappé and Güler as Madrid continued to press for a second goal. Mourinho was visibly frustrated on the touchline, apparently unhappy that several Sociedad fouls had not resulted in yellow cards.
His frustration soon disappeared. In the 60th minute, Mbappé restored Madrid’s lead. Cucurella and Valverde combined down the left before Mbappé exchanged passes with Bellingham. The move opened up the Sociedad defense, allowing Mbappé to slide the ball past Remiro and put Madrid back in front.
Bellingham played a major role in Madrid’s third goal eight minutes later. The England midfielder burst into the area and saw his shot blocked, but he immediately fought to win back possession from Luken Beitia. His determination kept the attack alive, and he supplied Vinícius with a simple opportunity that the Brazilian converted from close range.
With Madrid firmly in control, Mbappé completed his hat trick with 10 minutes remaining. Vinícius produced a brilliant through ball that sent Mbappé racing into space, and the French star calmly chipped the ball over Remiro to complete the treble and put the finishing touch on a dominant night.
Brahim Díaz appeared to add a fifth goal in stoppage time, but VAR ruled out the effort. The final whistle nevertheless confirmed a convincing 4-1 victory for Real Madrid and a perfect Bernabéu return for Mourinho.
More importantly, Mbappé once again demonstrated why he remains one of the most dangerous attacking players in world football, while Madrid’s second straight league win provided early momentum for Mourinho’s latest chapter at the club.
For Real Madrid, the night belonged to Mbappé, but the performance also highlighted the growing influence of Bellingham, Vinícius and Valverde as Madrid turned a competitive match into a comfortable victory.
