Real Madrid gave one of the best performances of the season, thrashing Monaco 6-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday. Kylian Mbappe scored two goals against his former club, while Vinicius Junior impressed at the Santiago Bernabéu.
The convincing victory has relieved the growing pressure on the Spanish giants and further fueled their quest for a top-eight finish in the group stages. This victory has also extended the new coach’s winning streak to two games, as Álvaro Arbeloa replaced Xabi Alonso last week.
Mbappé did not take long to make his presence felt, scoring the opening goal in the fifth minute with a clinical finish following a nice combination between Federico Valverde and Franco Mastantuono. The French striker, who began his career at Monaco, later apologized to the fans for his celebrations.
Vinícius had been receiving criticism from some sections of the home fans in the recent matches, but he showed a confident and high-energy display. He was instrumental in Madrid’s attack and assisted Mbappé in scoring his second goal through a quick counter-attack in the middle of the first half.
However, Monaco did show some signs of attacking intent, with Jordan Teze hitting the crossbar from range, while Thibaut Courtois made a couple of routine saves. The dominance of Madrid was evident shortly after the break.
Vinícius then assisted Mastantuono with the third goal in the early minutes of the second half, while Kehrer’s low cross was deflected into the net for an own goal, increasing the lead to 4-0. Vinícius then scored his own goal minutes later, as he shot a powerful shot into the top corner.
Jude Bellingham scored Madrid’s sixth goal late on, rounding the keeper with ease, after a quick late response from Monaco through Teze, who scored due to a defensive error.
Arbeloa was pleased with the reaction of his players, saying that their attitude, ambition, and quality were the factors that led to the win. Vinicius also admitted that the environment has been tough lately but that he is committed to the club. The overall victory came as a welcome boost to Real Madrid following a period of turmoil, while Monaco were left to wonder what might have been on a night when their back line was brutally dissected by the 15-time European champions.
