Kylian Mbappe scored three times as Real Madrid defeated Real Sociedad to give Jose Mourinho a winning return to the Bernabeu in La Liga.
Mbappe’s hat-trick completed an impressive start to Mourinho’s second spell in charge of the club. The Portuguese manager had begun his return with a 2-1 victory away at Espanyol at the weekend before overseeing another success against a determined Real Sociedad side.
Real Madrid were forced to be patient for long periods on Wednesday night, with the visitors making it difficult for the hosts to find space and rhythm. But the quality of the home side’s attacking players eventually proved decisive.
Jude Bellingham played a central role in the victory, providing two assists. He combined with Mbappe for the second goal and later helped create the third for Vinicius Jr, while Mbappe produced three composed and technically excellent finishes.
The atmosphere inside the Bernabeu reflected the significance of Mourinho’s return. Large numbers of supporters turned out to see the coach who led Real Madrid to three domestic titles more than a decade ago. Mourinho won 128 of his 178 matches during his first spell in charge.
Real Sociedad, however, showed little interest in allowing the occasion to become a celebration for the home team. They defended stubbornly in the opening stages and caused Real Madrid problems as Mourinho’s side searched for an opening.
The breakthrough finally came five minutes before the interval. Mbappe controlled the ball superbly just inside the penalty area, using his first touch to move beyond a defender before driving his finish into the net.
Real Sociedad responded almost immediately. Four minutes later, a deflected effort fell into the path of Luka Sucic, who took advantage of the opportunity to level the contest.
Real Madrid raised their intensity after the break, and two outstanding moments from Bellingham helped them move clear midway through the second half.
For the first, Bellingham exchanged passes neatly with Mbappe, giving the forward the space to place his shot beyond the goalkeeper. The England midfielder then continued to battle inside the area for the next opening. His persistence allowed him to set up Vinicius Jr, who finished from close range.
Mbappe completed the scoring with a finish that underlined his confidence. He timed his run onto a well-weighted pass from Vinicius Jr into the area, then lifted the ball over the goalkeeper to secure his third goal of the night.
The result means Mourinho has won both matches since beginning his second tenure at Real Madrid. Mbappe’s three goals, Bellingham’s creative contribution and Vinicius Jr’s involvement ensured the packed Bernabeu had the occasion it had hoped for, despite Real Sociedad’s determined resistance.
