Kylian Mbappe has outscored Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo in his debut season for Los Blancos, with the France international hitting his 34th of the campaign in Saturday evening’s Copa del Rey final against Barcelona.
Ronaldo made the move to Real Madrid from Manchester United in the summer of 2009, and he went on to score 33 times in his first season at Bernabeu, before ultimately becoming the club’s all-time leading goalscorer on 450.
Mbappe’s second-half free kick in El Clasico moved him onto 34 Real Madrid goals in 51 appearances, which also saw him pass Ruud van Nistelrooy, who managed 33 in his debut season for the club in 2006-07.
The record for goals in a debut Real Madrid season is held by Ivan Zamorano, who managed 37 in 1992-93, so Mbappe could create history this term, with five games remaining to potentially take the record.
Mbappe did not start Saturday’s Copa del Rey final, as he had only just recovered from an ankle issue, and head coach Carlo Ancelotti was not prepared to take any chances when it came to the France international.
© Imago
Mbappe scored his 34th goal for Real Madrid in El Clasico
However, the 26-year-old came on for Rodrygo at the interval, and he got his name on the scoresheet in the 70th minute, finding the bottom corner with a free kick from outside the penalty box.
There remain question marks when it comes to Mbappe, though, particularly as Real Madrid enjoyed so much success last season without him, while Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior have both seen their performance level dip this term.
It has also been a frustrating few weeks for Jude Bellingham, who is no longer operating as a number 10 despite being one of the best players in world football last season while featuring in that area.
Mbappe has won silverware at Real Madrid this season, lifting the UEFA Super Cup last August, but Los Blancos have now fallen short in the Champions League and Copa del Rey.
Ancelotti’s side are currently second in the La Liga table, four points behind leaders Barcelona, and they will take on the Catalan giants in another Clasico on May 11, with that fixture potentially being a title decider.
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