Real Madrid secured a crucial 2-0 home victory against Real Betis in La Liga on Sunday, thanks to a brace from their star signing Kylian Mbappé. The French forward, who joined the Spanish giants from Paris Saint-Germain in June, ended a short goal drought with his two goals, including a penalty, to help Real Madrid claim their second win in four league games.
The victory eases the pressure on Real Madrid ahead of the upcoming international break. They now sit in second place in the La Liga table with eight points, four points behind the current leaders, Barcelona.
The match was a relatively slow affair in the first half, with Real Madrid struggling to create clear chances despite dominating possession. Their new attacking trio of Mbappé, Vinicius Jr., and Rodrygo seemed to lack cohesion, misplacing passes and struggling to find their rhythm. Betis, on the other hand, was well-organized defensively and posed a threat on the counterattack, with forward Abde Ezzalzouli missing two clear chances in the opening 15 minutes.
Real Madrid finally found their groove in the second half, with Mbappé and Vinicius Jr. starting to click. They consistently created more opportunities, with Vinicius Jr. hitting the post in the 50th minute. The breakthrough came in the 67th minute, when Mbappé finished from close range after a clever back-heel from midfielder Federico Valverde. Mbappé sealed the victory in the 75th minute, converting a penalty after Vinicius Jr. was fouled by Betis goalkeeper Rui Silva.
Meanwhile, Girona enjoyed a comfortable 2-0 win at Sevilla. Goals from Ivan Martin and Abel Ruiz in each half secured the victory for Girona, who dominated the match from the outset. Sevilla, winless in their opening four matches, are now second from bottom in the league, with only two points. Girona, on the other hand, moved into fourth place with seven points, five behind Barcelona. Their next fixture is a crucial clash against the league leaders.
