Mbappe and Vinicius shine as Real Madrid thrash Monaco 6-1
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MADRID, Jan 20 : Kylian Mbappe struck twice and Vinicius Jr scored a spectacular solo goal and provided two assists as Real Madrid cruised to a 6-1 victory over Monaco at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday in the Champions League.
The comprehensive victory lifted Real to second place in the standings with 15 points, level with third-placed Bayern Munich and trailing leaders Arsenal by six, as they moved closer to securing a top-eight finish and direct qualification for the round of 16.
Monaco are 20th on nine points, giving them a chance of reaching the knockout-phase playoffs.
Mbappe opened the scoring in the fifth minute and gave Madrid a two-goal lead when he found the net again in the 26th, while Franco Mastantuono added their third goal six minutes after halftime.
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Monaco defender Thilo Kehrer inadvertently turned a Vinicius cross into his own net in the 55th minute and the Brazilian crowned his man-of-the-match performance in the 63rd with an extraordinary solo goal, firing into the top corner after dribbling past three Monaco defenders inside the box.
Monaco pulled one back in the 72nd minute with a Jordan Teze strike before Jude Bellingham added to Real's tally with a strike from inside the box in the 80th.
The tension that permeated the Bernabeu during Saturday's LaLiga clash with Levante was absent as Real Madrid's inspired display won over a crowd frustrated by recent setbacks and the sacking of manager Xabi Alonso last week.
The fans showed their support, particularly for Vinicius Jr and Bellingham, who faced whistles on Saturday but received cheers this time around.
It took Real Madrid just five minutes to seize the initiative with Mbappe driving in a low finish after a good run by Mastantuono from the right and he extended their lead in the 26th minute through a clinical counter-attack.
Arda Guler's incisive through ball found Vinicius bursting down the left. The Brazilian surged into the box and delivered a precise low cross that Mbappe calmly tapped past Monaco keeper Philipp Kohn's for his second of the night.
After halftime, Real Madrid turned on the style. In the 51st minute, Vinicius darted through the middle and slipped a perfectly weighted through ball to Mastantuono, who fired a first-time finish into the far corner.
Vinicius continued to torment the Monaco defence with another dangerous run down the left that ended with a low cross into the box that forced Kehrer into an own goal as he inadvertently turned the ball past his own keeper.
In the 63rd minute Vinicius scored the goal of the night, unleashing a thunderous shot into the top right corner, prompting the crowd to chant his name while he celebrated with new manager Alvaro Arbeloa. It was his first goal at the Santiago Bernabeu since early October.
"I think that more than embracing me, Vinicius was embracing all Real Madrid fans around the globe," Arbeloa told Movistar Plus.
"Everyone is very happy about the partnership between Vini and the fans and we are going to enjoy Vini here for a long time.
"I think it was a wonderful match, in our stadium, with our fans. The players enjoyed themselves, there were some great goals – this is what we want to see."
Monaco pulled one back, capitalising on a Real Madrid mistake. Dani Ceballos lost the ball on the edge of his own box, allowing Teze to pounce and fire a low shot past Thibaut Courtois.
Real Madrid, however, were not content with five. Bellingham added to the tally after Federico Valverde pounced on a rebound on the edge of the box.
The Uruguayan played a composed through ball to the Englishman, who rounded Kohn before slotting into an empty net.
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