Kylian Mbappe made history with a hat-trick in El Clasico but couldn’t prevent Real Madrid from falling to a 4-3 defeat against Barcelona in a pulsating La Liga encounter.
The French star etched his name into Real Madrid’s record books by netting his 39th goal of the season, more than any player in their debut campaign for the club. His remarkable feat saw him surpass Ivan Zamorano’s 33-year-old record of 37 goals set during the 1992/93 season.
Mbappe opened the scoring from the spot in the 5th minute and doubled Real’s lead nine minutes later. But Barcelona launched a fierce response, scoring four goals before halftime through Raphinha’s brace and efforts from Eric Garcia and Lamine Yamal, stunning the visitors at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
Although Mbappe completed his hat-trick after the break, his third for Real Madrid, the comeback was not enough. Barca held firm to claim the win, moving seven points clear at the top of the table and needing just one victory from their final three games to secure the La Liga title.
Despite the defeat, Mbappe’s hat-trick catapulted him to the top of the La Liga scoring chart with 26 goals, overtaking Robert Lewandowski in the Golden Boot race. Should he stay ahead, he’ll become the first Madrid player to win the award since Karim Benzema in 2021/22.
With three league games left and the Club World Cup on the horizon, Mbappe still has time to build on his historic debut season after joining from Paris Saint-Germain last summer. He’s also outscored Cristiano Ronaldo’s debut tally of 33 goals in 2009, though Ronaldo’s record season of 61 goals in 2014/15 remains unmatched.
Real Madrid’s campaign concludes with matches against Mallorca, Sevilla, and Real Sociedad, giving Mbappe more chances to add to his tally in what’s already been a record-breaking first year in Spain.
