.jpg)
2 hours ago
1
Real Madrid registered a 2-1 win over Marseille courtesy of a brace from talisman Kylian Mbappe in the UEFA Champions League opener at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday night.
Los Blancos were behind in the game when Timothy Weah scored the opening goal in the 22nd minute but a mistake from Geoffrey Kondogbia meant that the hosts received a penalty and Mbappe dispatched it with full conviction in the 28th minute.
In the second half, Real Madrid were reduced to 10 men after Dani Carvajal received marching orders following a head butt to Geromino Rulli.
However, despite the numeric disadvantage, Real Madrid scored the decisive goal from the spot after Facundo Medina handled the ball in the box resulting in another penalty. Mbappe, once again stepped up and did his job with utmost precision.
His brace on the night against Marseille helped Los Blancos secure a crucial win especially after Carvajal's red card and it also helped him reach a milestone of 50 goals for Real Madrid.
The French talisman has scored 50 goals for Real Madrid in 64 matches across all competitions and as per Opta, he is the fastest player to do for Los Blancos since Cristiano Ronaldo, who achieved the feat in just 54 matches back in November 2010.
📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
The 26-year-old has been in scintillating form in front of goal with six goals in five appearances this season for Real Madrid along with a solitary assist.
He has also completed 23 dribbles, created 20 chances and won four 'man of the match' awards this season.
What did Kylian Mbappe say after Real Madrid's winning start?
With his brace against Marseille, Mbappe has now reached 57 goals in the Champions League, equaling the record of former Bayern Munich star Thomas Muller as the joint-sixth highest goalscorer in the competition.
He surpassed former Dutch legend Ruud van Nistelrooy with his winning penalty on the night.
The 26-year-old also likes playing against Marseille having scored 12 goals against them. He has only scored more goals against Montpellier (15) and Lyon (13).
When quizzed about the pressure that he feels when stepping up for a penalty, he told UEFA, "I need to feel it. I think I need to feel it. Every player needs to feel the pressure. I think it's important to be focused and to have to do your best. It's important to have the pressure. I feel the pressure and I often rise to it. At the end of the day, I was happy to have two penalties today and to score, to help the team win the first game in the Champions League.
"This is the DNA of Real Madrid. Whatever happens you can always win. You have to trust yourself, you have to trust your team-mates. All the people around you, the stadium, they push you to win. That's what we did today. When we got the read card, nobody in the team was stressed. We wanted to push and be ready to get the win and give this pleasure to the fans."
Even Xabi Alonso heaped praise on his French forward with a cheeky jibe. "Mbappé? His match wasn't bad (laughs)," Alonso said after the win. 
"In his usual form, with 2 goals. He has a brutal impact on the rest. He's in his best shape. I'm happy to be with him, day in and day out."
English (US)