Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick as Jose Mourinho marked his return to the Santiago Bernabeu with a convincing 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad on Wednesday night.
Mourinho had already overseen a 2-1 victory away to Espanyol in his first match back in charge, but his first home game carried considerably more weight, with the Bernabeu welcoming back the Portuguese coach for the first time in more than 13 years.
The evening initially threatened to become uncomfortable for the hosts. Real Madrid struggled to turn their possession into clear chances and were jeered by sections of the home crowd during a disjointed first half.
Mbappe eventually broke the deadlock five minutes before the interval, cutting inside before firing past Alex Remiro.
Real Sociedad responded almost immediately, however, with Luka Sucic restoring parity four minutes later after a deflection presented him with the opportunity to finish.
The equaliser left Madrid facing a far more difficult second half, but Mourinho’s side returned with greater intensity and eventually overwhelmed their opponents.
Mbappe restored Madrid’s advantage shortly after the hour mark following a neat combination with Jude Bellingham. The France international then turned provider as Bellingham helped create the opening for Vinicius Junior to make it 3-1 in the 68th minute.
There was still time for Mbappe to complete his hat-trick.
The striker raced onto a clever pass from Vinicius before calmly lifting the ball over Remiro in the 80th minute, completing a superb individual performance and sealing Madrid’s second win of the campaign.
Mbappe leads Mourinho’s new Madrid era
For Mourinho, the result was significant for more than just the three points.
The 4-1 victory showed his team responding strongly after a first half in which the Bernabeu had begun to voice its frustration. Real Sociedad had caused problems before the interval, but Madrid found another level after the break and finished the match in complete control.
Mbappe was naturally at the centre of that transformation.
Mourinho was particularly impressed by the France captain’s willingness to contribute beyond simply finishing chances.
“He’s a historical player, his World Cup record will remain forever,” Mourinho said.
“He’s very hungry to make history at Real Madrid too. He isn’t just a goalscorer, he doesn’t wait for the whole team to create and then just score.
“He’s very involved in the game. When you coach elite players like this, you don’t need to coach them as individuals. You need to coach the team as a whole.”
The relationship between Mbappe, Vinicius and Bellingham will be one of the major storylines of Mourinho’s second spell, and Wednesday’s performance offered encouraging early evidence that the attacking trio can complement one another.
Bellingham’s two assists were particularly important, while Vinicius combined a goal with an assist for Mbappe’s third.
Mourinho receives warm Bernabeu welcome
The reception for Mourinho was another defining feature of the night.
When his name was announced before kick-off, the Bernabeu responded with loud cheers and chants, underlining the affection that remains for the coach who previously delivered three domestic titles during his first spell in charge.
Mourinho appeared relaxed throughout much of the evening and later described the atmosphere around the team as calm.
That composure will be tested far more severely as the season develops, particularly when Madrid face stronger opposition.
For now, though, Mourinho could hardly have asked for a better beginning.
Two games, two victories and seven goals scored suggest the returning coach has made an encouraging start to his attempt to restore Madrid to the top of Spanish football.
The biggest test will come when the opposition improves. Atletico Madrid await in the league on 20 September, providing an early indication of whether Mourinho’s new-look Madrid can match the optimism generated by their opening results.
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