Real Madrid responded to their recent domestic slip‑up in emphatic fashion, cruising to a 4–1 victory over Rayo Vallecano at the Santiago Bernabéu to move level with Barcelona at the top of LaLiga on 12 points. Following a setback against Real Betis and a midweek Champions League triumph, Madrid needed a fast start and found it through Kylian Mbappé. The French forward, who declared earlier in the week his belief that this year’s Ballon d’Or belongs to him, put on a commanding display to put Madrid back on course.
Madrid tore into the visitors from the opening whistle, taking full advantage of early space. The breakthrough arrived in the first half when a penalty was awarded, allowing Mbappé to step up and convert from the spot. Just minutes later, Mbappé turned provider, exchanging a rapid pass with a teammate before the attacker doubled Madrid’s advantage. In doing so, Mbappé became one of the few Real Madrid players to both score and assist within the opening stages of a LaLiga match at the Bernabéu in recent seasons.
The hosts didn’t slow down, matching their first‑half scoring tally from the entire previous league campaign by striking multiple times before the interval. In the 34th minute, Vinicius Junior picked out Jude Bellingham with a precise delivery, and the midfielder finished calmly to extend the lead. Mbappé nearly added another shortly before halftime when his strike cannoned off the post, capping off a dominant opening 45 minutes.
Rayo Vallecano fought back early in the second half. A long‑range effort rattled the upright, and the visitors capitalized on a defensive error to pull one back. Rayo forced Courtois into several crucial saves as they grew into the contest, but Madrid settled the match deep in stoppage time. A late pass found Mbappé, who drilled a low finish into the net to complete his double.
Mbappé’s late strike was his latest goal in a rich vein of form this season and brought his LaLiga tally to a high total in the opening games, matching explosive starts from past campaigns. The World Cup winner also extended his record for multi‑goal LaLiga games since joining Madrid, pulling further ahead of Barcelona’s top scorers. With a high goal count in his last appearances for club and country, Mbappé’s form has kept Madrid firmly on the front foot in the title race.
