Mbappé scores as Real Madrid beats Racing 3-0

Kylian Mbappé scored 12 goals in La Liga this season after his penalty kick opened the scoring for Real Madrid on Sunday. The French forward kicked the ball past the defender in the 11th minute of a 3-0 victory over Racing Santander away from home. This result allows Real Madrid to remain in contention for the top spot in Spanish football.

Real Madrid currently sits in third place in the league table. The team trails the leader, Barcelona, by three points. They are also one point behind Atlético de Madrid. Barcelona has been scoring goals at a high rate, putting pressure on the rest of the league to keep pace.

Jude Bellingham added the second goal for Real Madrid midway through the first half. Mbappé was involved in the play that led to the goal. Yan Diomandé, a summer acquisition for the club, struck a powerful shot before halftime to make the score 3-0. The team managed the match effectively despite the comfortable lead.

Jose Mourinho, the head coach, noted that the scoreline could have been higher. He admitted the game had the potential to end 4-0 but praised the team for securing a good win during an important week. Mourinho is in his second stint at the club, returning to the Spanish capital this season.

The coach mentioned that he was thinking about the upcoming Champions League match in Athens against AEK. He stated that he wanted to rest players who would not start on Wednesday. Mourinho described the league match as a gift from La Liga because it allowed him to manage his squad rotation.

Mourinho said the team is growing and should score more goals given the chances they create. He expressed happiness with the progress, noting that less than four months is a short time. He added that he has understood things he did not on his first day and that the players now understand his character as a trainer better.

Mbappé faced off-field attention earlier in the week. He apologized on Tuesday for comments where he apparently referred to Mao Zedong, the founder of Communist China, as a dictator. The comments led to criticism and the loss of brand deals with Chinese companies. This happened one day after he finished second in the Ballon d'Or vote behind Harry Kane.

In other La Liga results, Athletic Bilbao came from behind to beat Real Sociedad 2-1 in the Basque derby. Iñaki Williams and Alex Berenguer scored for Athletic in the first half. Getafe also reversed a deficit to defeat Sevilla 3-1. Martín Satriano assisted Enes Ünal for the equalizer and then scored in the 74th minute. Orel Mangala sealed the win in stoppage time.

Valencia won 1-0 at Elche thanks to a goal by Umar Sadiq in the 69th minute. Despite the win, the team managed by Mexican coach Javier Aguirre remains in a relegation position. Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni accidentally hit a young fan in the stands with a shot early in the second half. The boy was not seriously injured but cried immediately. After the match, Tchouaméni gave the child and his father an autographed jersey.

La Liga observed a minute of silence before each match this weekend. The silence honored the victims of a deadly train accident in Spain. The gesture took place across the league to mark the tragedy.