Kylian Mbappe fires first Real Madrid hat-trick as leaders thrash Valladolid
Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé celebrated his first hat-trick for the club in their La Liga match against Valladolid on Sunday, 26th January. Mbappé tucked the ball under his shirt and raised both hands after scoring his third goal of the evening as he soaked in the applause from travelling fans at the José Zorrilla Stadium in Spain.
Mbappé’s hat-trick on Sunday helped Real Madrid secure a 3-0 win against last-placed Valladolid, who have just 15 points to their name in 21 matches. In stark contrast, Madrid extended their lead at the top of the table, reaching 49 points, four points clear of second-placed Atlético Madrid.
There was no shortage of confidence from Mbappé, which had been lacking earlier this season as he dominated the play against the last-placed side to fire his team to a 2-0 lead by the 57th minute. Mbappé completed his hat-trick with a penalty in injury time.
“I’m very happy for the hat-trick but even happier for the win,” Mbappé told the broadcaster on Sunday.
“It was very important to win after Atlético’s result because that gave us a bit more pressure to take advantage of it.”
Madrid’s fourth straight triumph in the league, combined with Atlético Madrid’s 1-1 draw with Villarreal, allowed Carlo Ancelotti’s side to open a four-point gap over their city rivals. Barcelona are in third place, 10 points behind, before hosting Valencia on Sunday.
Real Madrid’s turnaround in La Liga came after being thrashed 4-0 by Barcelona in the El Clásico back in October 2024. Madrid found their stride after that, not only overtaking Barcelona but also building a distance between the bitter rivals.
“My adaptation to the team is over. I feel comfortable on the field, and you can see that from the way I am playing with my teammates,” Mbappé said. “This gives us confidence, but you know that until the 38th round, this is not over. We have to keep winning because there is a long way to go.”
The game between the front-runner and the bottom side fit its billing as a mismatch.
Valladolid could only draw one save from Thibaut Courtois in the opening moments. It was all Madrid the rest of the way, even though Vincius Jºnior didn’t play, having completed a two-game suspension.
Mbappé swept in Madrid’s first goal on the half-hour mark after a flowing team attack of quick passes to weave the ball through a packed Valladolid area that culminated in Jude Bellingham’s assist for the France star.
He made it a double in the 57th minute by finishing off a three-against-two counterattack after Federico Valverde intercepted a Valladolid pass. Mbappé took a pass from Rodrygo and rifled in a low strike from the left side of the box.
Valladolid finished with 10 men after Mario Martn received a second booking in the 90th minute for a foul on Bellingham, sending Mbappé to the spot for his third.
That made it four games in a row with a goal across all competitions for Mbappé. In La Liga, Mbappé has 15 goals, second only to Robert Lewandowski’s 16 for Barcelona. He also scored twice last weekend against Las Palmas in a 4-1 win.
“Mbappé is giving us a lot. He has found his rhythm over the last couple of months, and that is obviously a boost for us,” Ancelotti said.
