In-form Kylian Mbappe scores brace as Real Madrid see off Las Palmas

Kylian Mbappe maintained his hot scoring streak with a brace as Carlo Ancelotti’s side went top of LaLiga with a 4-1 victory over Las Palmas.

Fabio Silva gave the visitors a shock lead after 26 seconds, but Real had full control by the break as Mbappe scored twice, once from the penalty spot, with Brahim Diaz on target in between at the Bernabeu.

Rodrygo added another before Las Palmas were reduced to 10 men after 64 minutes for Benito Ramirez’s studs-high challenge on Lucas Vazquez.

Real’s comfortable win took them two points above Atletico Madrid after their shock defeat at Leganes on Saturday and seven clear of third-placed Barcelona.

Las Palmas had not won any of their 35 previous league visits to Real, but Silva gave them a dream start from the game’s first attack.

Alberto Moleiro cut in from the left and Sandro Ramirez’s delicious cross was tucked away by the unmarked Portuguese striker from four yards out.

Diaz contrived to miss an open goal and Mbappe’s deflected strike went just wide as Real responded well to the early setback.

Silva almost doubled the visitors’ lead after more good work from Moleiro, but it was soon one-way traffic as the Las Palmas goal came under siege.

Sandro’s needless challenge on Rodrygo when the Brazilian was making his way out of the box allowed Mbappe to roll home an equaliser after 18 minutes, sending Jasper Cillessen the wrong way from the spot.

Diaz fired straight at Cillessen, who did well to bat away efforts from Mbappe and Rodrygo.

The pressure told after 33 minutes when Cillessen pushed Mbappe’s stinging 25-yard effort to the waiting Vazquez and his square pass gave Diaz a simple-tap in.

Three minutes later Rodrygo laid the ball into the path of Mbappe, and his excellent right-footed finish high past Cillessen made it four goals in three games and 18 for the season for the France striker.

Mbappe was denied his first Real hat-trick by VAR before the interval after Jude Bellingham had lifted the ball over the Las Palmas defence.

Rodrygo cut the ball back from the byline and Mbappe swept home, but the referee was summoned to the pitchside monitor and the goal was ruled out for offside in the build-up.

Bellingham went close after the restart, rounding Cillessen to slide the ball into side-netting from a tight angle.

But Real remained hungry and Mbappe and Fran Garcia combined after 57 minutes to reward Rodrygo with a goal that his overall performance deserved.

Las Palmas’ plight grew worse when Benito caught the hip of Vazquez in a challenge that he could have pulled out of.

Real had the ball in the net again after Bellingham and Federico Valverde went for the same loose ball, but Antonio Rudiger was adjudged offside from the initial free-kick phase.

A splendid Valverde effort was also disallowed, but there were huge cheers as David Alaba came on for the final 15 minutes following 13 months out with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

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