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Mbappé penalty sparks Real Madrid's 3-0 win at Santander amid Catalan press fury

Jude Bellingham and Yan Diomandé completed the rout, leaving Real Madrid third, three points behind leaders Barcelona.

Golviva NewsroomUpdated

Kylian Mbappé and a teammate celebrating a Real Madrid goal at Racing Santander in pink away kits.
Kylian Mbappé and a teammate celebrating a Real Madrid goal at Racing Santander in pink away kits. · Photo: RMC Sport

Real Madrid won 3-0 away at Racing Santander in the eleventh round of LaLiga, with all three goals arriving in the first half at El Sardinero. José Mourinho's side were never threatened and moved to within three points of leaders Barcelona.

Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the eleventh minute, playing his first match after a turbulent week that included a second-place finish at the Ballon d'Or — awarded to Bayern Munich's Harry Kane — and a diplomatic row triggered by a social media video in which he joked about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong. Jude Bellingham doubled the lead shortly afterwards, and Yan Diomandé added the third before half-time.

The result was not without controversy: Catalan media were sharply critical of the penalty award, with outlets describing it as a simulation by Mbappé, according to RMC Sport. The refereeing decisions are likely to fuel the ongoing rivalry narrative between Madrid and Barcelona.

Mbappé has now scored 11 goals in 10 LaLiga appearances this season. FootVal's valuation of the French forward stands at €199m, in line with his Transfermarkt market value of €200m.

Sources

This article is based on reports by:

  • AS — La televisión pública china no emite ningún partido de LaLiga tras la polémica Mbappé
  • BBC Sport — Bellingham & Mbappe score as Real Madrid earn statement win
  • kicker — Santander - Real Madrid: Tor zum 0:1 durch Mbappé in der 11. Minute
  • L'Équipe — Liga : le Real Madrid l'emporte facilement à Santander, Kylian Mbappé buteur après sa semaine compliquée
  • The Guardian — European football: Mbappé penalty helps Real Madrid stroll to sixth straight win
  • ESPN — Mbappé, Bellingham on target as Madrid win 4th straight
  • RMC Sport — Santander-Real Madrid: "penalty ridicule", "simulation de Mbappé"... La presse catalane très remontée contre l'arbitrage

Written by the Golviva newsroom from the reports below, with figures from Golviva’s own database. Spotted a mistake? Tell us. · How we report