Kylian Mbappe might not have the best start to his La Liga career with Real Madrid but he is gradually getting up to speed with his game in the Spanish top flight.
On Saturday, September 21, 2024, the French football sensation recorded a sublime milestone in his Real Madrid and La Liga career. He wrapped up Real Madrid’s 4-1 comeback win over Espanyol by converting a spot-kick to seal the victory.
The penalty goal saw him become the second Real Madrid player after French compatriot Karim Benzema to score three penalty goals in three consecutive La Liga games.
After blanking in his first three La Liga matches, the former PSG forward broke the duck, with a brace in Real Madrid’s 2-0 win over Real Betis on September 1, 2024.
He opened the scoring for the La Liga and European champions in the 67th minute. His second goal – a 76th-minute strike – was a penalty goal.
On September 14, 2024, he found his third La Liga and second penalty goal in a 2-0 away win over Imanol Alguacil’s Real Sociedad at Reale Arena, San Sebastian.
The 90th-minute penalty goal against Espanyol on Saturday, September 21, 2024, saw the player match Karim Benzema’s record as the second Real Madrid player to score three penalties in three consecutive La Liga games.
Kylian Mbappe’s subdued start to his La Liga career
Known for his heroics in French Ligue 1 with PSG, Mbappe seems to have fallen off the pecking order with a subdued start to his La Liga career. He blanked in his first three La Liga games before finally finding the back of the net in style with the brace against Real Sociedad.
In six matches, he has scored four goals with three of the goals (90%) through penalty kicks. While it is not an overly poor start, the sensational forward is still considered miles away from his benchmarks in Ligue 1.
Despite a bedraggled transfer saga that delayed his return to first-team football with PSG, Mbappe roared to a brilliant finish in Ligue 1 last season. He scored a league-leading 27 goals to emerge as the top scorer for the sixth consecutive season.
However, from the less-than-stellar start to life at Santiago Bernabeu, he could now be forced to lose a domestic league top scorers award for the first time in six years.
He is currently third in the standings with four goals, behind Barcelona duo Raphinha (5 goals) and Robert Lewandowski (6 goals).
Real Madrid makes history with penalty record
Kylian Mbappe’s penalty goal also put Real Madrid on the map. Los Blancos became the first club in the 21st century to convert five penalties in their first six La Liga matches.
They scored from the spot against Las Palmas, Real Betis, Real Sociedad, and Espanyol. Meanwhile, the win against Espanyol saw the team climb to the second spot on the La Liga table with 14 points from six matches.
They are four points behind domestic rivals Barcelona, who have made it a perfect start to the campaign with six wins in six matches.
What is next for Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid?
Kylian Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid could be more of an adventure. Barcelona are waxing stronger with greater potency and readiness for the title race. This could see Kylian Mbappe miss out on a domestic league title for the first time since 2021.
