Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick as Jose Mourinho marked his return to the Santiago Bernabeu with a second consecutive victory as Real Madrid beat Real Sociedad in La Liga.
Mourinho began his second spell at the club with a 2-1 win away to Espanyol at the weekend before guiding Madrid to another three points against Sociedad.
Real Madrid had to work patiently against a stubborn Sociedad side, but their quality eventually proved decisive, with Mbappe scoring three times. Jude Bellingham provided two assists and also set up Vinicius Jr for Madrid’s third goal.
A packed Bernabeu welcomed Mourinho back to the stadium, 13 years after he left the club.
The Portuguese manager won 128 of his 178 matches during his first spell at Real Madrid and guided the club to three domestic titles.
Sociedad initially frustrated the hosts, but Madrid took the lead five minutes before half-time.
Mbappe controlled the ball brilliantly inside the box to evade his marker before driving his finish past the goalkeeper.
Sociedad responded four minutes later when a deflected effort fell to Luka Sucic, who made no mistake from inside the area.
Bellingham then played a key role as Madrid regained control after the break.
The England midfielder combined with Mbappe in a neat one-two before the French forward placed his second goal beyond the goalkeeper.
Bellingham was involved again for Madrid’s third, showing persistence inside the box before setting up Vinicius Jr for a simple finish.
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Mbappe completed his hat-trick late in the match when he ran onto Vinicius Jr’s pass into the box and chipped the goalkeeper.
Mourinho’s return was met with a strong reception from the home supporters.
When his name was announced before kick-off, the Bernabeu responded with a loud roar and chants of the manager’s name.
There is renewed optimism among Madrid supporters that Mourinho can deliver success, with the manager himself acknowledging that a trophyless season would represent failure.
Two wins from two matches have provided the ideal start to his second spell.
The victory over Sociedad was also more convincing than the narrow win at Espanyol, with Madrid taking control during the second half.
Mourinho remained largely composed on the touchline before approaching the fourth official to protest a decision.
After 13 years away, his return to the Bernabeu has begun with two wins, while Mbappe’s hat-trick provided the latest indication of his importance to Madrid’s attack.
