ONE TOUCH SUMMARY
- Kylian Mbappé scored twice and assisted once as Real Madrid beat Rayo Vallecano 4-1.
- Mbappé opened with a 14th-minute penalty and laid on Álvaro Carreras' goal three minutes later.
- Mbappé tops the LaLiga scoring charts with six goals, seven in six games across all competitions.
ONE TOUCH INSIGHT
Real Madrid settled this inside 17 minutes and then let it drift. Mbappé won and converted the penalty, then laid on Carreras' finish — the first Madrid player with a goal and an assist inside the opening 17 minutes of a Bernabéu LaLiga game since James Rodríguez in January 2016.
Bellingham made it three before the break. Camello pulled one back six minutes after the restart for a Rayo side with four points from five games, and Madrid's grip loosened from there.
Mbappé's case is being made in numbers: seven goals in six games in all competitions, six in LaLiga to top the chart, and 15 multi-goal LaLiga games since he joined, with Raphinha next on 11. That last figure is the telling one. It says his scoring arrives in bursts.
Mourinho's Madrid will be judged on what happens ten minutes after half-time, not on how quickly Mbappé starts. Betis beat them last week; here they conceded straight after the restart. Another early lead, another goal given up just after the break, and the pattern hardens.
WHY IT MATTERS
Mbappé's numbers are reshaping the LaLiga golden boot race while he publicly stakes a Ballon d'Or claim, and Madrid needed this response after their first defeat of the season.
Kylian Mbappe
ST / LW
France
Strengths
- ✓Elite penalty-box finishing, demonstrated by his low drilled strike in stoppage time.
- ✓Composure from the spot as Real Madrid's designated penalty taker.
- ✓Chance creation for teammates, illustrated by his lay-off for Álvaro Carreras.
- ✓Relentless scoring output: seven goals in six games across all competitions.
- ⚠Whether Madrid's reliance on his goals leaves them vulnerable when he is quiet, as in a flat second half against Rayo.
- ⚠Whether his public Ballon d'Or campaigning adds pressure that could weigh on him if the scoring dips.
TACTICAL FIT
Mbappé is Madrid's penalty taker and chief finisher, and his lay-off for Carreras shows he links with arriving full-backs; Arda Güler's late pass released him again.
THE DEBATE
Can anyone stop Mbappé from winning LaLiga's golden boot this season?
LALIGA
4-0-1, 12 PTS
4
4-0-1, 12 PTS
FT
1-1-3, 4 PTS
1
1-1-3, 4 PTS
Kylian Mbappé - 14' Pen, 90'+1'
Álvaro Carreras - 17'
Jude Bellingham - 35'
Sergio Camello - 51'
- Gamecast * Recap * Team Stats * Player Stats * Commentary * Videos
Mbappé stars as Real Madrid see off Rayo Vallecano
1:13
Real Madrid vs. Rayo Vallecano - Game Highlights
By ESPN
Updated: Sep 12, 2026, 09:22 pm
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Kylian Mbappé continued his hot start to the season, with two goals and an assist as Real Madrid got back to winning ways in LaLiga with a 4-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano on Saturday.
At the end of a week in which he made clear his belief that this year's Ballon d'Or should be headed his way, Mbappé highlighted his credentials.
The France forward opened the scoring with a 14th-minute penalty following a foul Álvaro Carreras.
Three minutes later he assisted Carreras with a neat lay off to make it 2-0 and become the first Madrid player with goal and assist in the opening 17 minutes of a LaLiga game at the Bernabéu since James Rodríguez in January 2016.
Kylian Mbappé set Real Madrid on the path to victory with his early goal against Rayo Vallecano.
Diego Souto/Getty Images
Jude Bellingham extended Madrid's lead to 3-0 before halftime but coach José Mourinho is unlikely to be best pleased with Madrid's second-half performance, which allowed Sergio Camello to reduce Rayo's arrears in the 51st minute.
But Madrid and Mbappé would have the last word. The World Cup's all-time top scorer feasted on a pass from Arda Güler before drilling a low shot into the net in the first minute of stoppage time.
It was Mbappé's seventh goal in six games in all competition this season and puts him top of the LaLiga scoring charts with six.
He also extends his lead for most multi-goal games in LaLiga (15) since joining Madrid ahead of the 2024-25 last season. Next on the list is Barcelona's Raphinha, with 11.
Madrid suffered their first defeat of the campaign last week when they were beaten by Real Betis before they saw off Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday.
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Head-To-Head
RMALast 5 Matchups
RAY2
2025-26 LALIGA
FT
2/1/26
@ RMA
1
0
2025-26 LALIGA
FT
11/9/25
@ RAY
0
2
2024-25 LALIGA
FT
3/9/25
@ RMA
1
3
2024-25 LALIGA
FT
12/14/24
@ RAY
3
1
2023-24 LALIGA
FT
2/18/24
@ RAY
1
Game Information
7:00 PM, September 12, 2026
Santiago Bernabéu
Madrid, Spain
Where to Watch
ESPN+
Match Officials
Referee:Victor García Verdura
Spanish LALIGA Standings
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Barcelona | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | +15 | 12 | | Real Madrid | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | +10 | 12 | | Alavés | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | +6 | 10 | | Sevilla | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | +2 | 10 | | Real Betis | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | | Deportivo | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | +3 | 8 | | Espanyol | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | +3 | 7 | | Atlético Madrid | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 7 | | Athletic Club | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | +1 | 7 | | Racing Santander | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | | Real Sociedad | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | -2 | 7 | | Osasuna | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | -3 | 7 | | Levante | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | | Getafe | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -3 | 4 | | Rayo Vallecano | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -6 | 4 | | Celta Vigo | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | -3 | 3 | | Villarreal | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -2 | 2 | | Málaga | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -6 | 2 | | Elche | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | -7 | 2 | | Valencia | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | -9 | 1 |
LALIGA News
## Real Madrid vs. Rayo Vallecano - Game Highlights Watch the Game Highlights from Real Madrid vs. Rayo Vallecano, 09/12/2026 9m
## Mbappé stars as Real Madrid see off Rayo Vallecano Kylian Mbappé continued his hot start to the season, with two goals and an assist as Real Madrid got back to winning ways in LaLiga with a 4-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano on Saturday. 6m
## Athletic Club vs. Elche - Game Highlights Watch the Game Highlights from Athletic Club vs. Elche, 09/12/2026 3h
AI-assisted · generated from ESPN FC reporting, not editor reviewed
