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Mbappé Shines with Hat Trick as Madrid Dominates Valladolid

BARCELONA, Spain — Kylian Mbappé celebrated his first hat trick with Real Madrid by playfully tucking the ball under his shirt while acknowledging the applause from the crowd. The French forward’s impressive performance led his team to a 3-0 victory over struggling Valladolid, allowing Madrid to strengthen its lead in La Liga as they pursue another title just beyond the halfway mark of the season.

Gone are the days of inconsistency and missed opportunities for Mbappé, who has found his scoring touch following his transfer from Paris Saint-Germain. Recently, he has been on a roll, recording multiple goals in consecutive games, boosting Madrid’s position as they distance themselves from rivals Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, who have both stumbled in recent matches.

“I’m very pleased with the hat trick, but even more so with the victory,” Mbappé shared in fluent Spanish. “It was crucial to win after Atletico’s recent result, as it adds more pressure on us to capitalize on the situation.” The win marked Madrid’s fourth consecutive league victory, while Atletico’s 1-1 draw with Villarreal allowed Madrid to pull ahead by four points.

Despite once being behind Barcelona in the standings, Madrid has regained its form after a heavy defeat in a previous clasico. “My adaptation to the team is complete. I feel at ease on the field, which is evident in how I connect with my teammates,” Mbappé commented. “This gives us confidence, but there’s still a long way to go, and we must keep winning.”

The match was a stark contrast between the league leader and the team at the bottom of the standings, fulfilling expectations of a lopsided encounter. Valladolid struggled to make any significant impact, only forcing a solitary save from Thibaut Courtois early in the game, while Madrid controlled the match even in the absence of Vinícius Júnior, who was serving a suspension.

Mbappé opened the scoring in the 30th minute, finishing off a slick passing move assisted by Jude Bellingham. He doubled the lead in the 57th minute, completing a counterattack set up by Federico Valverde’s interception. The tense finish saw Valladolid reduced to 10 players after Mario Martín received a second yellow card, allowing Mbappé to convert a penalty for his hat trick.

With this match, Mbappé has now scored in four consecutive games across all competitions and currently stands with 15 goals in La Liga, placing him just behind Robert Lewandowski of Barcelona, who has 16 goals. Last week, he also contributed two goals in a decisive 4-1 victory over Las Palmas, highlighting his growing influence in the squad. “Mbappé is delivering for us. He’s found his stride, which is surely beneficial for our team,” said coach Carlo Ancelotti.

On a different note, Atletico Madrid dropped more points as they faced Villarreal, who held them to a 1-1 draw following a previous unexpected defeat. Gerard Moreno’s penalty conversion put Villarreal ahead, but Atletico’s substitutions in the second half, including Antoine Griezmann and Rodrigo de Paul, helped them equalize.

In another close encounter, Real Betis clinched a victory against 10-man Mallorca thanks to Cedric Bakambu’s stoppage-time goal. Mallorca had several chances but was left short-handed after Omar Mascarell received a red card.

Meanwhile, Espanyol managed to secure a 1-1 draw against Sevilla, with goalkeeper Joan García making crucial saves to keep the match even.

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