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Kylian Mbappe put a turbulent week behind him by scoring in Real Madrid’s 3-0 victory over Racing Santander in La Liga on Sunday.
The French forward converted an early penalty as Madrid secured their sixth consecutive win in all competitions to remain within three points of league leaders Barcelona.
Mbappe had endured a difficult week after losing the Ballon d’Or to Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane. He also faced criticism following a social media storm over a video in which he joked about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong, prompting an apology.
The controversy had wider consequences, with Chinese state television refusing to broadcast Madrid’s match and other Spanish league fixtures this weekend.
Mbappe opened the scoring in the 11th minute after going down under a challenge from Matteo Prati. He made no mistake from the penalty spot, sending the ball past the goalkeeper to give the visitors an early lead.
Real Madrid dominated much of the first half, with Jude Bellingham doubling their advantage after being released by a fine pass from Arda Guler.
The England midfielder rounded the goalkeeper before rolling the ball into the net for his 50th goal since joining the Spanish giants in 2023.
Madrid’s record signing, Yan Diomande, completed the scoring with a powerful effort from the edge of the box after Guler had missed an earlier opportunity.
Racing responded positively after the break, forcing Madrid onto the back foot and drawing an angry reaction from their coach, Jose Mourinho.
However, the visitors regained control and created further chances. Mbappe struck the post, while Bellingham was denied by Racing goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala.
The hosts thought they had earned an opportunity to reduce the deficit when Aurelien Tchouameni handled the ball inside the penalty area. However, the referee overturned the penalty decision following a VAR review.
Bellingham later had a second goal ruled out for offside, while substitute Endrick narrowly missed the target with a long-range effort.
The victory keeps third-placed Madrid three points behind Barcelona, who strengthened their position at the top with a 6-1 win over Alaves on Saturday. Madrid are also one point behind city rivals Atletico Madrid, who defeated Levante 2-0.
For Racing, who returned to La Liga this season after 14 years away, the defeat was their first home loss of the campaign. They remain 16th in the standings.
