Mbappe hat-trick crowns Mourinho's Bernabeu homecoming

Kylian Mbappe tore Real Sociedad apart with a brilliant hat-trick as Real Madrid sealed a 4-1 win at the Bernabeu, giving Jose Mourinho a triumphant return to the home dugout in his first competitive match back at the club since his reappointment this summer.

Vinicius Junior also found the net while Jude Bellingham provided two assists in a commanding first home game of the season, as Madrid made it two wins from two and stayed perfect in LaLiga. Mbappe, who led the team for both shots and touches in the box, became the first player to score a hat-trick in the Spanish top flight this season.

The 27-year-old, who won the Golden Boot at this summer's World Cup having become the competition's all-time leading scorer, has now registered six goals across all competitions for Madrid since joining in 2024-25 — at least twice as many as any other player in LaLiga.

Mourinho: 'What Kylian did was insane'

Mourinho, who previously managed Madrid between 2010 and 2013, was full of praise for the Frenchman, whose treble takes his career tally against Real Sociedad to seven goals — his most against any single opponent in the competition.

"He's a historical player; his World Cup record will remain forever. He's very hungry to make history at Real Madrid too," Mourinho told Real Madrid TV. "He isn't just a goalscorer; he doesn't wait for the whole team to create and then just score."

He added: "There's something I don't like doing, but sometimes I have to: I don't like to talk about individuals, but what Kylian did… it was insane."

"This bloke is incredible. I'm really glad he made history at the World Cup because only one player is truly for the ages, the one with the most World Cup goals. I can see he's absolutely raring to make history with Real Madrid," Mourinho said at his press conference.

The Portuguese coach noted that the striker's early return to pre-season had paid dividends: "Mbappe arrived two days before his holidays were expected to finish, and those two extra days in pre-season can make a positive difference."

Second-half surge settles a nervy night

Madrid saw Mbappe's opener five minutes before the break cancelled out by Luka Sucic in the 44th minute, prompting a furious reaction from the home faithful. But after half-time Mourinho's side dominated, firing 12 of their 20 shots in the second half and accumulating 2.5 expected goals (xG).

Mourinho restored Madrid's lead on the hour mark when Bellingham assisted Mbappe, and eight minutes later Bellingham was again the provider as Vinicius Junior found the net. Vinicius then picked out Mbappe with a pinpoint pass for the Frenchman's third and Madrid's fourth in the 80th minute. Late on, Brahim Diaz thought he had added a fifth, but the goal was ruled out with Carlos Espi offside in the build-up.

"I highlight that La Real are a very good team; they created a lot of difficulties for us. Until we changed in the second half, we were not calm, but we kept calm and in the second half the team was very strong," said Mourinho. "I don't like one thing very much, to speak individually, but what Mbappe has done is crazy. A lot of quality."

A storm of support for the hero

The evening also marked a turning point in the relationship between Mbappe and the Madrid faithful. Following a campaign dominated by noise and a season-ending exchange of words with former head coach Alvaro Arbeloa, the crowd responded with total support on Wednesday. Announced last in the line-up — a spot reserved for the star player — Mbappe missed a few clear chances but looked in excellent physical shape, and each of his three goals was celebrated with his name chanted enthusiastically.

With two seasons without major trophies behind them since his free-agent arrival from Paris Saint-Germain, Mbappe and Madrid's fans have set out to turn things around — and Wednesday's virtuoso display was a decisive step in that direction.