Kylian Mbappe turned back the clock on his Monaco days, scoring twice as Real Madrid obliterated the Ligue 1 side 6-1 in UEFA Champions League league phase action. The win bolsters Madrid’s top-eight aspirations, with the Spanish giants now brimming with confidence heading into crucial fixtures.
From the outset, Madrid asserted control. Mbappe pounced on Valverde’s threaded pass in minute five for 1-0, then acrobatically volleyed home the second near the half-hour mark. Post-interval, the floodgates opened: Mastantuono’s clinical finish made it 3-0, Kehrer’s mishap extended the lead, and Vinicius with Bellingham completed the demolition job. Monaco managed a flicker of hope through Teze, but it was too little, too late.
Across the Atlantic in Lisbon, Sporting CP shocked the football world by defeating PSG 2-1. Trailing despite PSG’s pressure and two chalked-off goals, Sporting roared back with Suarez’s double – a tap-in at 74 minutes and a towering header in stoppage time. Kvaratskhelia’s sublime curler had leveled matters momentarily, but Suarez’s clutch strikes lifted Sporting to sixth place.
Ajax’s resilience shone through in a thrilling late winner against Villarreal, courtesy of Edvardsen, while Olympiacos crafted a masterclass in counter-attacking football to blank Leverkusen 2-0. Taremi and Costinha struck sharply, with Tzolakis’ goalkeeping masterclass preserving the clean sheet. This round of matches underscores the UCL’s high stakes, where underdogs can topple giants and stars like Mbappe redefine legacies.