Kylian Mbappe once again found the net for Real Madrid as they triumphed 3-0 over Real Oviedo in La Liga on Sunday.
For Oviedo, marking their return to Spain’s top league after nearly 25 years, hosting the 15-time European champions was a celebratory event, and the Asturian fans made their voices heard.
Stars Mbappe and Vinicius Junior were pivotal in the north of Spain, with the Frenchman scoring twice before the Brazilian added a late third.
Coach Xabi Alonso made some strategic changes to his lineup from Madrid’s initial 1-0 victory against Osasuna, opting for Rodrygo Goes and captain Dani Carvajal, who returned from injury, instead of Vinicius and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
However, Vinicius made an impact with an assist and a goal during his 30-minute appearance.
Argentinian teenager Franco Mastantuono made his full debut in another alteration for Los Blancos.
The 18-year-old showcased his impressive dribbling early, sprinting past two defenders into the Oviedo box before appealing to a disinterested referee.
Oviedo’s rare advance saw Leander Dendoncker latch onto a through ball, attempting a chip over Thibaut Courtois in the 23rd minute. The Belgian keeper quickly recovered, easily catching the ball.
Madrid nearly broke the deadlock when Arda Guler’s shot from within the box was brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Aaron Escandell.
Contentious Opener
The Turkish international assisted Mbappe at 37 minutes, delivering a precise pass which the Frenchman turned and fired across Escandell’s goal.
The home side protested vigorously as Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni appeared to strongly challenge Dendoncker to regain possession during the buildup.
Madrid almost doubled their lead five minutes into the second half when a defensive error resulted in a clearance straight into Escandell’s hands.
Rodrygo and the energetic Mastantuono were replaced by Vinicius and Brahim Diaz just after the hour mark.
Diaz immediately set up a prime opportunity for Fede Valverde, whose cushioned pass found the Uruguayan in the box, but Escandell made a fingertip save to keep it 1-0.
Kwasi Sibo nearly thrilled the home fans, hitting the post for Oviedo with Courtois unmoving at 81 minutes.
That opportunity spurred Madrid into action. Two minutes later, Vinicius captured the ball, advancing towards the box and slipping a clever pass to Mbappe, who scored immediately.
In the 93rd minute, Vinicius scored when Diaz found him in space, finishing with composure.
Meanwhile, Villarreal crushed Girona 5-0 at home, with new signing Tajon Buchanan scoring a hat-trick to start his La Liga journey.
Girona, who participated in the Champions League last season, now sits at the bottom of the table with two consecutive losses, conceding seven goals and scoring none.
The home team surged to a 4-0 lead in just 30 minutes, with Nicolas Pepe and Rafa Marin scoring alongside Buchanan’s brace.
The Canadian completed his third goal four minutes past the hour, capping a dazzling display by the Yellow Submarine.
Real Sociedad battled back from a 2-0 halftime deficit in the Basque region to secure a draw against Espanyol.
Pere Milla and Javi Puado scored for the Catalans, but Ander Barrenetxea and Orri Oskarsson responded for Sociedad within eight second-half minutes.
Ante Budimir’s ninth-minute goal secured a 1-0 win for Osasuna over a 10-man Valencia.
