Mbappé Penalty Steers Real Madrid to Sixth Straight Win

Kylian Mbappé put a difficult week behind him on Sunday, converting a penalty as Real Madrid won 3-0 at Racing Santander. Jude Bellingham and Diomandé completed the scoring, and the win extends Real Madrid's run to six straight victories.

The build-up to the match had been dominated by off-field stories. On Monday, Mbappé narrowly lost out on the Ballon d'Or to Bayern Munich's Harry Kane. He then had to apologise after a social media storm over a video in which he joked about the former Chinese leader Mao Zedong, a clip that drew sharp criticism online.

For Real Madrid, the performance offered a welcome change of subject. Mbappé's penalty gave the side a lead they did not have to fight to protect, and Bellingham and Diomandé added to the margin, leaving the visitors with a comfortable three-goal win on the road. The result keeps the team's form strong at a time when every away trip carries extra attention.

The result also reflects a broader pattern. A string of wins gives a squad confidence, and it lets the focus shift from headlines back to the pitch. Whether that momentum lasts will depend on how the team handles the next set of fixtures, and on whether Mbappé can carry his goal-scoring into the matches that follow.

Elsewhere in Europe, Lazio moved to the top of Serie A after coming from behind to beat Cagliari.