Real Madrid secured a victory over Marseille in their opening match, courtesy of a brace from Mbappe's penalty kicks.
Real Madrid Secure Victory Thanks to Mbappe's Brace
Real Madrid secured a hard-fought victory against Marseille in the Champions League, with Kylian Mbappe scoring two penalties to secure the win.
The French forward reached a significant milestone with his second goal, scoring his 50th for the club in just 64 appearances. This is the quickest any player has reached the half-century mark since Cristiano Ronaldo achieved it in 2010.
The match started on a disappointing note for Madrid, with Trent Alexander-Arnold having to leave the game due to a thigh injury after just three minutes. The home team struggled to find their rhythm, but Mbappe's equalising penalty in the first half provided a much-needed boost.
The turning point of the match came when Dani Carvajal was sent off for headbutting Marseille goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli. Madrid coach Xabi Alonso was left to manage the team with 10 men, but his team showed great resilience to take the lead through Mbappe's second penalty.
Mbappe's first goal came after Facundo Medina was penalised for a handball, while the second was awarded following a challenge by the same player on Vinicius.
Marseille fought back bravely, with Timothy Weah scoring the first goal of the match and his first for the club. Thibaut Courtois made a save to deny Weah a second, but Madrid held on to secure a valuable three points.
Xabi Alonso expressed his satisfaction with Mbappe's performance, while Courtois expressed disappointment that Madrid did not win by a larger margin. Eduardo Camavinga, who returned from injury, did not enter the game, while Jude Bellingham, who underwent shoulder surgery in July, was named on the bench but did not feature.
In a nod to the future, Franco Mastantuono started as the youngest player for Real Madrid in a Champions League match at just 18 years and 33 days.
Meanwhile, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, a former opponent for Real Madrid, scored multiple goals against them while playing for Borussia Dortmund. The Gabon international will be hoping to replicate his form when he returns to action.
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