Kylian Mbappé’s Remarkable Season: Matching Ronaldo’s Tally and Leading Real Madrid’s Charge
In the world of football, few names resonate as powerfully as Kylian Mbappé. The French forward has been making waves since his early days, and his recent performance for Real Madrid has only solidified his status as one of the game’s greats. On a thrilling Saturday evening, Mbappé scored twice in a 3-2 comeback win over Leganés, a victory that not only secured three crucial points for Madrid but also saw Mbappé match the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo‘s goal tally in his debut season with the club.
Mbappé’s first-half penalty set the tone, putting Madrid 1-0 up at the iconic Santiago Bernabéu. However, the lead was short-lived as Leganés quickly responded with a goal from Diego Garcia, and then Dani Raba made it 2-1 to the visitors before the break. The tension was palpable, but Madrid’s resilience shone through in the second half.
Enter Jude Bellingham, who pulled a goal back, setting the stage for Mbappé to grab his second of the night. This crucial goal not only secured the win but also brought Mbappé’s tally to 33 goals in all competitions this season. Only Chilean striker Iván Zamorano, with 37 goals, has scored more in his first season for the Spanish giants.
Reflecting on his achievement, Mbappé told Real Madrid TV, “It’s very special. The most important things are the ones you do with the team, but to score the same number of goals as Cristiano is always good. We know what Cristiano represents for Real Madrid and for me. We always talk, he gives me advice. It’s good to score goals, but as I always say, we have to win trophies here.”
Indeed, the win was crucial for Madrid as it kept them neck and neck with Barcelona at the top of the LaLiga table, both teams sitting on 63 points. Barcelona, however, has a game in hand against Girona on Sunday, which could see them pull ahead.
Mbappé’s 33 goals, 22 of which have come in the league, have been scored in just 45 games. With Madrid still in the hunt for three major trophies—LaLiga, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League—Mbappé’s form is more crucial than ever.
“We’ve been working all year for this moment,” Mbappé said. “We’ll give everything to win games and all the trophies we can. It’s always difficult after the international break, you have one rhythm with your club, you go away with your national team and it’s something else. But we know what we always have to do: win.”
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has been full of praise for Mbappé’s recent performances. “He’s playing well. He’s more active, more present in our play. He’s making the difference, and that’s what we want from him,” Ancelotti said. The coach also revealed that Mbappé had practiced a similar goal to his winner—a clever indirect free kick—during training the day before the match.
“We worked on it with the coaching staff,” Mbappé explained. “I knew that I could shoot like that, I saw the space, and it worked well … It’s a team effort, with the staff.”
Looking ahead, Madrid faces a busy schedule. They host Real Sociedad in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal on Tuesday, followed by a LaLiga clash with Valencia, and then a high-stakes Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Arsenal.
- Mbappé’s goal tally: 33 goals in all competitions
- Real Madrid’s current LaLiga standing: Tied with Barcelona at 63 points
- Upcoming matches: Real Sociedad (Copa del Rey), Valencia (LaLiga), Arsenal (Champions League)
Originally Written by: Alex Kirkland,Rodrigo Faez
