Kylian Mbappé showcased his incredible talent with a sensational hat-trick as Real Madrid cruised to a dominant 3-0 victory over Valladolid, extending their lead at the top of La Liga to four points.
The French forward's performance propelled Madrid further ahead of their rivals, while Atletico Madrid faltered at home against Villarreal, dropping vital points in their title race.
The match at Valladolid was largely one-sided, with Real Madrid taking control early. Mbappé opened the scoring after just 30 minutes. A swift exchange of passes with Jude Bellingham created the perfect opportunity for Mbappé to finish, giving Madrid the lead.
The second goal came just 10 minutes into the second half when Rodrygo made a powerful run forward, slipping the ball to Mbappé. With a deft cut inside, he placed a right-footed shot into the net, putting Real Madrid 2-0 up.
In the dying moments of the match, Valladolid was reduced to 10 men as Mario Martin was shown a red card for a foul on Bellingham inside the penalty box.
Mbappé, calm under pressure, stepped up to take the penalty, scoring his third goal of the match and completing his hat-trick. This victory gave Madrid a commanding four-point lead, further cementing their position at the summit of the Spanish league.
Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, were left to rue dropped points after a disappointing 1-1 draw at home against Villarreal.
Coach Diego Simeone made several changes to his starting lineup, leaving key players such as Antoine Griezmann and Rodrigo de Paul out in preparation for the team's upcoming Champions League fixture.
However, Atletico’s decision to rest these players backfired as they struggled to create chances in the first half.
Villarreal capitalised on Atletico's lack of cohesion when Gerard Moreno converted a penalty following a challenge from Reinildo Mandava. Atletico's protests over the foul fell on deaf ears, and Moreno's calm finish gave the visitors the lead.
Atletico responded with an equaliser from Samuel Lino, who pounced on a rebound from Angel Correa's shot, levelling the score at 1-1. Despite a strong finish, Atletico could not find a winner and had to settle for a draw.
In other matches, Real Betis secured a dramatic 1-0 victory over Mallorca, with Cedric Bakambu scoring a last-minute header. Mallorca had looked the stronger side throughout the match, creating the better chances, but their hopes were dashed when they were reduced to 10 men in the 70th minute.
Omar Mascarell received a questionable red card, and Betis took full advantage in the dying moments to snatch all three points.
Espanyol, battling to avoid relegation, earned a crucial point in a 1-1 draw at Sevilla. Marash Kumbulla’s strike from a corner gave Espanyol the lead, but Sevilla responded through Loic Bade, who curled in a fine effort to equalise.
Sevilla had a goal ruled out earlier for a foul, but the home side managed to rescue a point through Bade's well-taken shot.
The match between Osasuna and Las Palmas was an eventful one, ending 1-1 after a late free-kick by Adnan Januzaj salvaged a point for the visitors.
Osasuna had taken the lead through Aimar Oroz early in the second half, but Las Palmas fought back, with Januzaj's 98th-minute free-kick snatching a late draw. The match saw a staggering 15 yellow cards, with Las Palmas' midfielder Dario Essugo sent off in the final stages of the game.
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