Kylian Mbappe delivered a stunning hat-trick in Real Madrid’s 5-0 Champions League win over Kairat Almaty on Tuesday, but the French star still left the pitch frustrated at not taking all of his chances. The 26-year-old, who has now scored 13 goals this season, believes finishing opportunities is exactly what he was brought to the club to do.
Real Madrid cruise past Almaty
Los Blancos were in control from the first whistle, with Mbappe running the show. They struck early with a penalty, added another in the 52nd minute, and the Frenchman capped off his hat-trick with a rocket from distance in the 73rd minute. The 5-0 win keeps Madrid sitting pretty in second place in the standings as they look to shake off last weekend’s La Liga slip against Atletico Madrid.
AdvertisementGettyPerfectionist Mbappe not happy with just a hat-trick
The 26-year-old has already scored 13 goals across all competitions this season, a stunning but expected turnaround from his slow start last year. Despite that, he has made it clear he expects more from himself.
"It's normal that I get angry about mistakes, a player like me with five chances… I want to score five goals and I have to score five goals, that's why Madrid bought me," he told reporters. "Three is great, but I could have scored more, I'm going to work to be more efficient in front of goal."
Mbappe credits Courtois for setting up goal
The last season's European Golden Boot winner also made sure to credit goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, whose pinpoint pass set up his second goal.
"Courtois's pass… I don't know if he did it intentionally, but it's a tremendous pass. He scored 80% of the goal, and I scored 20."
When asked about his link-up with youngster Arda Guler, the Frenchman added: "I have a good connection with Arda; he's a player with a lot of quality and great talent. We try to help him give his best; he plays very well, and we're happy to have him on the team."
GettyReal Madrid aim to bounce back in La Liga after Atletico humiliation
Madrid will be desperate to put their derby nightmare behind them after the 5-2 hammering by Atletico last weekend. The defeat allowed Barcelona to move to the top of the table in La Liga and snapped Los Blancos' seven-game winning streak, but with Mbappe firing on all cylinders in Europe, Xabi Alonso’s men will be aiming for a strong response against Villarreal on Saturday.