Real Madrid 4-1 Real Sociedad: Mbappé hat-trick powers Mourinho’s side to emphatic Bernabéu win

Real Madrid’s first night back at the Santiago Bernabéu delivered the clearest early statement of José Mourinho’s second spell in charge, as Kylian Mbappé scored a hat-trick in a 4-1 win over Real Sociedad that turned a competitive first half into a one-sided second.

Madrid were not dominant from the outset. Sociedad stayed in the contest, defended with enough discipline to disrupt the hosts’ rhythm and responded almost immediately after Mbappé opened the scoring in the 40th minute. Luka Sučić’s equaliser four minutes later sent the teams into the interval level and left Mourinho with a game that still required solving.

The response after the break was emphatic.

Mbappé restored Madrid’s lead on the hour, accelerating a shift in momentum that Sociedad were unable to contain. With Madrid playing at a higher tempo and recovering possession more aggressively, the spaces around the visitors’ defensive line began to widen.

Vinícius Júnior made it 3-1 in the 68th minute after Jude Bellingham helped force the turnover and then supplied the final ball, a sequence that captured the change in Madrid’s second-half approach: pressure first, penetration immediately afterwards.

By then, Sociedad were being pushed deeper and the combinations between Bellingham, Vinícius and Mbappé were becoming increasingly difficult to defend. Vinícius then turned provider in the 80th minute, setting up Mbappé to complete his hat-trick and put an emphatic finish on Madrid’s first home appearance of the new LaLiga campaign.

The scoreline ultimately reflected Madrid’s superiority, but not the full shape of the contest. Mourinho’s side had been forced to work through a balanced opening period before imposing themselves decisively after half-time, when greater intensity without the ball allowed their attacking quality to take control.

It was also a markedly different performance from Madrid’s 2-1 victory away to Espanyol four days earlier. That win required a 90th-minute goal from substitute Carlos Espí; against Sociedad, Madrid moved beyond survival and produced a sustained spell of attacking authority.

Mourinho had spoken before the game about wanting the Bernabéu to receive his team “with passion” on his competitive return to the stadium. The response he received was accompanied by a performance that offered considerably more than ceremony.

Madrid now have six points from their opening two league matches, with the postponed Sociedad fixture completing their delayed Matchday One assignment. Their next test comes at home against Málaga on Sunday.

For Mbappé, however, the significance of the night was more immediate. After a subdued opening appearance against Espanyol, the Frenchman left the Bernabéu with the match ball and three goals — the decisive figure in the first convincing victory of Mourinho’s new Real Madrid.