Mbappé signs a hat-trick against Real Sociedad. Best players Sofascore / Comunio.

Real Madrid C.F.

The match corresponded to the opening round of LaLiga, postponed due to the break after the World Cup, although both teams had already played another league fixture. Madrid arrived after beating Espanyol 1-2 and faced the return of José Mourinho to the home dugout at the Santiago Bernabéu thirteen years later. Real, for their part, needed to respond after starting with a 1-0 defeat to Betis.

First half

The final score can be misleading because for many minutes Real Sociedad managed to give Madrid a run for their money. Mbappé warned first with a shot that found the response of Álex Remiro, but the clearest chance in that opening spell belonged to the txuri-urdin: Oyarzabal found space inside the box and forced Courtois to intervene low. Real moved the ball with confidence and at times managed to make Madrid chase the possession.

The exchange continued. Remiro popped up again against Vinícius, while Sergio Gómez went close to scoring with a volley that went near the post. The game was not controlled by either side until Valverde broke lines from midfield. The Uruguayan found Mbappé in the 40th minute and the Frenchman, after getting past Jon Martín, finished with a high shot past the goalkeeper.

The advantage lasted just four minutes. A burst from Ochieng again exposed the Madrid defense, and the move ended with a ball that Madrid failed to clear. Luka Sucic made it 1-1 in the 44th minute and pulled Real back into the match just before the break. The draw reflected quite well a first half in which the visitors had found too many openings to progress.

Second half

Mourinho made a change at half-time, bringing on Marc Cucurella for Álvaro Carreras. The full-back got involved quickly on the opposing side and Madrid began to settle with much more continuity around Remiro's area. Real lost the ability to cool the game they had shown before the break, and spaces started to appear.

That was when the connection emerged that ended up breaking the match. In the 59th minute, Bellingham and Mbappé combined with a wall pass inside the box, and the Frenchman once again found himself one-on-one with Remiro to make it 2-1. The move condensed much of Madrid's improvement: more aggression to attack the gaps and a much greater presence of their attacking players near the area.

The killer blow came shortly after, with Bellingham as the protagonist. In the 68th minute, the Englishman pressed Beitia inside the box, won the ball back, and left Vinícius to make it 3-1. It was especially painful for a Real side that was starting to lose its order and could no longer find a way to stop Madrid's surges.

With the opponent opened up, Mbappé still had one last appearance. Vinícius threaded the pass in the 80th minute and the French striker chipped the ball over Remiro to complete his hat-trick and seal the 4-1. Madrid thus went from suffering a draw at half-time to resolving the match with three goals in twenty minutes, powered by the quality of their attackers and by a much more damaging press after the restart.

Top performers Comunio / Sofascore

39

Mbappé
26.190.000€-3.870.000€ -1

J4

15

J3

2

J2

23

J1

DL

04

For Real Madrid, Kylian Mbappé was the big fantasy name: he finished with 23 Comunio points and a 10.0 on Sofascore. The hat-trick explains an outstanding tally that puts him well ahead of the rest. His ability to attack spaces, finish against Remiro, and show up in three different moments turned every Madrid acceleration into a threat.

Jude Bellingham also stood out particularly, with 14 Comunio points and a 9.0 on Sofascore. Beyond his fantasy output, he had a direct impact on two goals: he combined with Mbappé for the 2-1 and engineered the third with a recovery inside the box before setting up Vinícius. Precisely Vinícius Jr. added 13 points and a 7.8, while Fede Valverde reached 10 points and a 7.7 after featuring in the move that opened the scoring. They were the big beneficiaries of the 4-1 in Comunio terms.

19

Sucic
3.180.000€+30.000€ ?

J4

4

J3

2

J2

11

J1

MD

01

For Real Sociedad, Luka Sucic was the best-rated player with 11 Comunio points and a 7.3 on Sofascore. His goal allowed the Donostia side to reach half-time level and he held his value despite the collective deterioration of the second half. Also very striking was the fantasy performance of Álex Remiro, with 10 Comunio points and an 8.1: he conceded four goals, but made several noteworthy saves against a Madrid attack that ended up creating numerous clear chances.

The negative note was Luken Beitia, who finished with -1 Comunio point and a 5.7 on Sofascore. In addition to his negative rating, he lost the ball inside the box in the action in which Bellingham recovered and assisted Vinícius for the 3-1. On the opposite flank, Beñat Turrientes closed the match with 5 Comunio points and a 7.0, a respectable score in a second half that was very complicated for Real.

Match facts

Result: Real Madrid 4-1 Real Sociedad.

Goals: 1-0, Mbappé (40'); 1-1, Luka Sucic (44'); 2-1, Mbappé (59'); 3-1, Vinícius Jr. (68'); 4-1, Mbappé (80').

Stadium: Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid. Referee: Mateo Busquets Ferrer.

Real Madrid: Courtois; Dumfries, Konaté, Huijsen, Álvaro Carreras; Bernardo Silva, Valverde; Arda Güler, Bellingham, Vinícius Jr.; Mbappé. Coach: José Mourinho.

Real Sociedad: Remiro; Aramburu, Beitia, Jon Martín, Sergio Gómez; Yangel Herrera, Turrientes; Ochieng, Kubo, Sucic; Oyarzabal. Coach: Pellegrino Matarazzo.