Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick as Real Madrid defeated Real Sociedad 4-1 in Jose Mourinho’s return to the home dugout at the Bernabeu.The France international striker, the Golden Boot winner at this summer’s World Cup, continued his rich form in front of goal to make it two La Liga wins from two for Mourinho, who was re-appointed at Madrid — whom he previously managed between 2010 and 2013 — this summer.Mbappe played the entirety of Saturday’s opening-day 2-1 victory at Espanyol but did not score, yet on Wednesday it was his treble that fired Madrid to a comprehensive victory over Real Sociedad.The 27-year-old opened the scoring five minutes before the break but Luka Sucic equalised for the visitors in the 44th minute.Madrid, who enjoyed the lion’s share of the games chances, restored their lead on the hour mark after Jude Bellingham assisted Mbappe and eight minutes later, Bellingham was again the provider as Vinicius Junior found the net.
Vinicius Jr then picked out Mbappe with a pinpoint pass for the Frenchman’s third and Madrid fourth in the 80th minute.Madrid’s fans unified in team supportAnalysis by The Athletic’s Real Madrid correspondent Mario CorteganaOne of the interesting aspects of the return to the Bernabeu was how the fans would react to various players, including Mbappe, following all the noise that surrounded last season.Everything went smoothly, a far cry from the drama of past months. During that time, Mbappe had been booed on a few occasions at the stadium, mainly because of a trip he took with his partner whilst recovering from a muscle injury.The season even ended with an exchange of words through the media with the previous head coach Alvaro Arbeloa. On Wednesday, however, there was no trace of any of that.Mbappe was announced last in the line-up — the spot Real Madrid reserve for the star player — although this can change during the campaign. The crowd’s reaction was one of total support.Once the match got underway, it was the same story. Although the striker missed a few clear-cut chances, he was one of the leaders of the team and looked in excellent physical shape, as if he enjoyed a full pre-season.Each of his three goals was celebrated and his name chanted enthusiastically.After two seasons without major trophies since his arrival as a free agent from Paris Saint-Germain, Mbappe and Madrid’s fans have set out to do everything in their power to turn things around.Aug 26, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms
