Coach Jose Mourinho rotated his squad just three days after their Champions League win against Inter Milan, notably giving a first start to 156 million USD new signing Yan Diomande. At 19 years and 302 days old, Diomande became the third-youngest player to make his full Real Madrid debut in La Liga under Mourinho, following Raphael Varane in 2011 (18 years, 149 days) and Sergio Canales in 2010 (19 years, 194 days).

The Ivorian forward began cautiously but gradually grew into the game. He also benefited from Real Madrid quickly establishing a comfortable lead and controlling the match.

Kylian Mbappe scores the opening penalty in Real Madrid's 4-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano in La Liga's fifth round at the Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain on 12/9/2026. Photo: AS

In the 13th minute, Alvaro Carreras surged forward and was fouled by Florian Lejeune inside the box, earning Real a penalty. From the spot, Mbappe calmly struck the ball into the right corner, sending goalkeeper Emil Audero the wrong way and opening the scoring.

Just three minutes later, Lejeune made another error with a careless back pass, allowing Vinicius to intercept. The Brazilian forward crossed into the box, and though Audero pushed it away, Real quickly regained possession. Carreras then advanced, played a one-two with Mbappe inside the penalty area, and fired a diagonal shot to double the lead.

Mbappe became the first Real Madrid player to both score and assist within the first 17 minutes of a La Liga match at the Bernabeu since James Rodriguez against Espanyol in January 2016.

Real continued their dominant performance, scoring a third goal in the 35th minute. Vinicius sprinted down the left wing before delivering a pass into the box for Jude Bellingham to volley into the far corner. Audero stretched but could not stop it. The home side could have gone into halftime with an even larger advantage if they had capitalized on more opportunities. Notably, Mbappe's curling shot from outside the box hit the post in the 45th minute.

Jude Bellingham (in white) scores to make it 3-0. Photo: AFP

The three-goal lead led to some complacency from Real Madrid after halftime, allowing Rayo Vallecano to mount a comeback. In the 51st minute, Vinicius lost possession in his own half, creating an opportunity for Sergio Camello to chip the ball into the far corner, beating Thibaut Courtois and rekindling hope for the visitors.

Rayo grew more confident as the game progressed, consistently pressing and threatening Courtois' goal. Whistles began to echo through the Bernabeu stands as Real Madrid unexpectedly lost their control.

Mourinho was forced to act as the match began to slip from his team's control. "The Special One" brought on Aurelien Tchouameni for a visibly fatigued Bernardo Silva, then Arda Guler replaced Diomande. The Turkish midfielder's introduction immediately injected new energy into Real Madrid's attack, helping the hosts gradually regain their composure.

In the 81st minute, Guler struck a left-footed shot diagonally but it was blocked. The 21-year-old midfielder also drove the ball into the box, creating chances for Mbappe and Denzel Dumfries, though neither could convert. In injury time, Mbappe finally extinguished all hope for Rayo. Guler received the ball outside the box and delivered a perfectly weighted pass for the French forward to score with a diagonal shot, completing his brace and sealing the 4-1 victory.

Kylian Mbappe scores with a diagonal shot to seal the 4-1 victory...

...and celebrates with Arda Guler. Photo: AFP

Mbappe's goal tally now stands at six, placing him level with Raphinha (Barca) and Camello (Rayo) in the race for this season's La Liga top scorer. He also became the first Real Madrid player to score six goals in the first five La Liga matches of a season since Karim Benzema in the 2021-2022 season, who also had six goals.

Mbappe continues his strong form as he begins his campaign for the 2026 Ballon d'Or. The French forward believes his individual performance at the 2026 World Cup gives him a significant chance to win the award, emphasizing that no player performed better than him last season.

If he maintains his current performance level, Mbappe clearly has every reason to be confident. At the Bernabeu, he once again demonstrated why Real Madrid places such high expectations on the French star in their pursuit of trophies this season.

Hong Duy