by Sunday’s La Liga match saw Spanish champion Real Madrid defeat Real Valladolid 3-0, despite Kylian Mbappe’s goalless debut at Santiago Bernabeu.
For his first game wearing a Madrid shirt, the French attacker played at home, but Valladolid’s defense mainly frustrated him. After fifty minutes, Madrid player Fede Valverde opened the score with a low deflected free kick. Brahim Diaz and rookie Endrick added goals in the closing minutes. After starting the season with a draw against Real Mallorca, Madrid produced enough after the break to secure their first victory of the year.
Carlo Ancelotti’s team remained two points behind rivals Barcelona, who defeated Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, despite their continued lack of attacking flair. Arda Guler was substituted by Ancelotti for Jude Bellingham, who was hurt and would likely miss a month due to a calf issue. As the only side in the league to maintain a perfect record in their first game, Real Valladolid immediately set out to cause the champions problems.
Darwin Machis missed a clear opportunity with a deflected shot, but otherwise the visitors’ defense was all hands on deck. In the July heat of the Spanish city, Madrid controlled possession without posing a threat thanks to a long-range strike by Aurelien Tchouameni. In the second half, Madrid came out stronger and quickly took the lead.
With the aid of a deflection, Valverde broke the deadlock with a devastating low free kick. With Vinicius waiting in the middle, ready to score, Rodrygo missed his pass, allowing Madrid to double their lead. When Vinicius cut the ball over to Mbappe, he missed a fantastic opportunity to score, but Estonian goalkeeper Karl Hein made a great stop.
The 18-year-old Brazilian attacker Endrick replaced the captain of France after he missed a second opportunity to counterattack. After years of connections, Mbappe made his dream move to Madrid this summer when his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired. He scored in a UEFA Super Cup victory on his debut.
As Ancelotti tries to polish his setup to get the most out of the club’s attacking stars, Mbappe has not scored in his first two La Liga games. In the 88th minute, Diaz ran on to a long pass from defender Eder Militao and neatly lobbed the finish to seal Madrid’s victory.
The Spanish playmaker set up Endrick for a goal at the near post in stoppage time, allowing him to celebrate his debut club appearance in style. Later on Sunday, Atletico Madrid plays Girona, the surprise squad from the previous campaign, among other games.
