Mbappé off the mark in La Liga as Madrid earns crucial victory

02/09/2024

MADRID, Sept 2, (AP): With two goals in less than 10 minutes, Kylian Mbappé ended his scoring drought in the Spanish league, leading Real Madrid to a 2-0 win over Real Betis. Madrid’s biggest signing in years, Mbappé, scored once in the team’s win over Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup final last month, but he had yet to find the net in his previous three Spanish league matches.

He opened the scoring at the Santiago Bernabeu with a low left-footed shot from inside the area after a neat backheel pass by Federico Valverde in the 67th minute. Mbappe then added to the lead by converting a 75th-minute penalty kick after a foul on Vinicius Junior. Madrid had drawn two of its first three games, with its lone victory coming against Valladolid two rounds ago, also at the Bernabeu.

This win moved the defending champion four points behind leader Barcelona, the only team to win all four matches to start the season. Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said there was never any pressure on Mbappé to end his drought in the league.

The result kept Betis winless after three matches. Manuel Pellegrini’s team had drawn its first two games. Vitor Roque, a young Brazilian forward, was a second-half substitute for the Seville club where he is playing on loan from Madrid rival Barcelona.

Madrid has not conceded in its last five league games at Bernabeu, returning to last season, a first for the club in the competition since 1996. Madrid is unbeaten in 26 home games in the league, with 22 wins and four draws, the best run under Ancelotti. The five points from three matches until now had meant Madrid’s worst start in the league since 2019-20, when it won the competition.

Sevilla lost 2-0 at home to Girona to remain winless after four matches. Iván Martin and Abel Ruiz scored a goal in each half for Girona, which has now won two in a row. It will play the Catalan derby against Barcelona in the next round.