Kylian Mbappe scored an outrageous hat-trick in seven minutes and added a fourth later in the night to cap off his best numbers in a European game as Real Madrid beat Olympiacos 4-3 in the UEFA Champions League.
His poker was the highlight of Real Madrid’s win, which was still not a very comfortable one given how they almost choked on their lead.
In the end, however, Los Blancos took all three points and put an end to their three-game winless rut.
The hero speaks out
The hero of the night spoke to the media after the game and handed his two cents on the result and what it meant for the team.
“It was very important to win again. We knew we hadn’t won in three games, which is a long time for a team like ours,” said Mbappe.
He then elaborated on why the win was so important in the Champions League and what the three points do to the team in the grander scheme of things.
“Today was Champions League day. It was important to win to stay in the top eight, which is the team’s goal for the first half of the season.”
“It was quite a tough match. We know it’s difficult to win here. We started very badly and lost possession a lot. We conceded the first goal, but then we took control of the match and scored a lot of goals,” he added.
On the second half performance, Mbappe said: “The second half was tight: we scored, they scored, but we came away with the win.”
The French phenom was then asked what the team must improve on after the game, and where they fell short against Olympiacos.
“I don’t know. We have to look at it again. The only thing I can see is that we were in control of the match.”
Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid
Back among the goals. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
“We were very pleased to have scored goals and created chances to score more. We have to look at the positives and then the negatives,” he added.
Mbappe could not be stopped last night as he scored four times for Los Blancos. On his feelings after achieving the feat for the first time in his UCL career, he said:
“I feel good, I’m very happy. Scoring goals is always a pleasure for me. My teammates give me lots of great passes. I’m very lucky to play in this team with all the players in the squad.”
“I always try to score; sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t, but I always intend to help my team,” he added.
Finally, Mbapoe addressed the elephant in the room which was how the team were doing and any potential conflicts of interest.
“I think it’s looking good. Of course, there are things we need to improve. I know people talk a lot from the outside. When you play for a club like Madrid, it’s normal for people to talk.”
“We have to protect the players, the coach and everyone in the squad because, at the end of the day, we’re all in this together. I’m not going to say that we’re against people from outside, but at the end of the day we’re together and with all the Madrid fans,” he added.
He then emphasised how having fans on their side helped the dressing room and the team as a whole, saying,
“I know that the Madrid fans are with us. We must be proud and give our all for this badge because we have a lot to play for this season.”
Source: Real Madrid website