Kylian Mbappé scored a brilliant hat-trick to lead Real Madrid to a 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad on Wednesday in La Liga. The match marked José Mourinho’s first home fixture back at the Santiago Bernabéu in over 13 years.
José Mourinho Returns to the Bernabéu as Real Madrid Clinch Victory
Real Madrid secured a dominant 4-1 win against Real Sociedad at the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday, giving José Mourinho a winning home return more than 13 years after his previous home match in charge of the club. Veteran Portuguese coach Mourinho selected the same side that snatched a late 2-1 win at Espanyol in his first match at the helm last Saturday.
The victory put Madrid among the leaders in La Liga with a perfect record after two matches on matchday two. Yet the evening did not begin smoothly for the hosts. Before half-time, Real Madrid were jeered by the crowd after a sluggish opening in which they looked short of rhythm, careless in possession, and vulnerable on the counterattack. Real Sociedad carried the sharper threat early on, nearly going ahead in the 10th minute when Takefusa Kubo intercepted a loose pass near the edge of the box and slipped in Mikel Oyarzabal, whose close-range effort was kept out by Thibaut Courtois. At the other end, Vinícius Júnior fired over, and Álex Remiro saved low at his near post from Mbappé during an open start to the game, while Sergio Gómez sent a volley screaming just wide of Courtois’s far post.
“There’s always a sense of justice in the boos and the applause, and the odd boo now and then doesn’t do anyone any harm – it helps you grow,”
José Mourinho, head coach
“We all know the Santiago Bernabéu and just how demanding the fans are here, and I’m very pleased with how my players responded under pressure and put in a great second half, in which we could even have scored more goals.”
José Mourinho, head coach
Kylian Mbappé Dominates with a Brilliant Hat-Trick
Kylian Mbappé provided the necessary clinical edge to dismantle Real Sociedad’s defense. Five minutes before half-time, Madrid found the breakthrough when Federico Valverde fed Mbappé. The French forward, top scorer in La Liga in each of the last two seasons, took a clever touch to escape his marker and buried the ball in the top corner to claim the first goal of his campaign.
However, Los Blancos could not survive to the break without conceding the equaliser against last season’s Copa del Rey winners. Job Ochieng dallied on the ball, and his shot was blocked, but it fell nicely to Luka Sucic, who rammed home with the help of a deflection off Álvaro Carreras.
Following a tactical shift at half-time that saw Marc Cucurella replace Álvaro Carreras, Madrid transformed their performance with a ruthless display after the break. Arda Güler played in Mbappé, whom Remiro denied early in the second half, but the Spanish goalkeeper could do nothing when Mbappé restored the hosts’ lead around the hour mark by combining with Jude Bellingham before slotting past the goalkeeper to make it 2-1.
Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham Orchestrate the Routing
Jude Bellingham continued his strong start to the season by providing two assists and playing a decisive role alongside Fede Valverde, Bernardo Silva, and Arda Güler in a four-man midfield. Bellingham fought for the ball in the box, outmuscled the defender and laid it off across the six-yard area for Vinícius Júnior to tap home for a 68th-minute goal.
Vinícius then turned provider 10 minutes from time, threading a pass through for Mbappé to go one-on-one with the goalkeeper. With a delicate chip, the Frenchman completed his hat-trick and turned the win into a rout.
La Liga Standings and Upcoming Fixtures
With the 4-1 victory secured—after the referee disallowed Brahimi’s late goal for Espí’s offside—Real Madrid sit at the top of the table on Wednesday night for the 2026-27 season. Mourinho’s side hosts Málaga at the weekend, while the Basques are still without a point and sit in the relegation zone.
