Mbappe’s brace fuels Real Madrid’s 4-1 win over Rayo Vallecano

Mbappe struck twice as Real Madrid thrashed Rayo Vallecano 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday. The French forward opened the scoring from the penalty spot after a clumsy challenge by Florian Lejeune, added a second in stoppage time and helped set up two other goals.

Match details

Coach Jose Mourinho saw his side take a three‑goal lead by half‑time. A penalty in the 14th minute gave the hosts the early edge, followed by a well‑worked finish from Alvaro Carreras after a quick exchange with Mbappe. Jude Bellingham added the third, receiving a pass from Vinicius Junior and slotting home his third of the season.

Rayo pulled one back early in the second half when Sergio Camello capitalised on a mistake by Vinicius, making it 4-1 after Mbappe’s late strike. Yan Diomande made his first start for Madrid but missed a chance, while Thibaut Courtois kept a clean sheet.

"It was fundamental to win, above all after losing the last game in La Liga," Mourinho said on Real Madrid TV.

Why the win matters

The win puts Madrid back on a winning trajectory and demonstrates Mourinho’s ability to motivate his squad after a setback. Scoring twice, Mbappe reinforced his claim for the season’s top‑scorer award, matching Barcelona’s Raphinha and keeping Madrid in the race for the title.

Defensively, the team showed resilience after conceding a penalty and a second‑half goal, with Arda Guler coming off the bench to stabilise the midfield and assist Mbappe’s final strike.

Looking ahead

Madrid travel to Elche on Tuesday, aiming to maintain momentum and keep pressure on Barcelona, who visit Levante on Sunday to extend their perfect start. A win in the next fixture would keep Madrid within striking distance of the league leaders.

Rayo, meanwhile, host Espanyol later this week as they try to recover from the heavy loss.