Jose Mourinho's return to the Santiago Bernabeu as Real Madrid manager was marked by a decisive 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad. Kylian Mbappe was the star of the match, netting a hat-trick to secure Real Madrid's first home win of the LaLiga season.
While Mbappe collected the match ball, Jude Bellingham also garnered significant attention for his performance. Spanish outlet Marca awarded Mbappe a perfect 10/10, describing him as 'devastating,' while Bellingham received a nine, with the publication dubbing him 'Mourinho's star signing.'
Marca's assessment of Bellingham's first half noted his peak physical condition and intensity, describing him as 'aggressive, appearing everywhere and playing with clarity and precision.' The report highlighted his role in creating chances for Mbappe and Vinicius Jr and drawing a yellow card from Yangel Herrera. His second-half performance was lauded as 'stellar,' earning him a standing ovation upon substitution. The newspaper detailed a moment of world-class skill where an exquisite one-two with Mbappe led to the Frenchman's second goal, and credited Bellingham's individual effort and pressing for assisting Vinicius Jr's third goal.
Mbappe opened the scoring in the 40th minute, but Luka Sucic equalized for Sociedad four minutes later. Mbappe restored Real's lead on the hour mark, Vinicius Jr extended it in the 68th minute, and Mbappe completed his hat-trick in the 80th minute.
The victory marked a successful return for Mourinho, over 13 years after his previous home match in charge of the club. Real Madrid showed a transformed performance in the second half after a sluggish opening period. Mourinho acknowledged the demanding nature of the Santiago Bernabeu crowd, stating that boos and applause help players grow and expressing pleasure with his team's response under pressure.
Real Sociedad had early opportunities, with Thibaut Courtois making a save from Mikel Oyarzabal and Sergio Gomez narrowly missing the target. However, Mbappe's individual brilliance put Madrid ahead before halftime.
Post-match, Mourinho praised Mbappe's performance, calling it 'insane' and highlighting his knack for scoring and creating chances, particularly when the team is under pressure. He also noted that Mbappe's early return from holidays contributed positively to his readiness.
