Mbappé Hat-trick, 60 Champions League Goals

Kylian Mbappé scored a hat-trick as Real Madrid thumped Kairat Almaty 5-0, earning Man of the Match, UEFA’s matchday best-player award and a place in OneFootball’s Champions League team of the week. The treble took him to 60 Champions League goals in 89 appearances — the third-fastest to that mark, faster than Cristiano Ronaldo (98 games) — and made him the second-youngest to reach the milestone. It was his fourth UCL hat-trick, drawing him level with Karim Benzema and narrowing the gap with Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski. Despite those achievements and Real’s perfect group start, questions persist about Madrid’s attacking cohesion after a heavy 5-2 derby defeat to Atlético and criticism that teammates such as Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr have failed to provide consistent support. Mbappé’s wider standing has also been scrutinized after he finished seventh in Ballon d’Or voting and showed visible frustration following the derby loss. Attention now turns to upcoming Champions League fixtures, including Barcelona vs Olympiacos and Real Madrid vs Juventus.