Real Madrid's star forwards shone in each half, with Vinicius making his mark in the first 45 minutes.

Vinicius curls a shot into the far corner to open the scoring in Real Madrid's 4-1 victory over Levante in the sixth round of La Liga at the Ciutat de Valencia Stadium, Valencia, Spain on 23/9/2025. Photo: AP

In the 21st minute, the Brazilian forward's curling effort from outside the box was parried by goalkeeper Mathew Ryan, and Franco Mastantuono's follow-up shot hit the post. Seven minutes later, Vinicius moved to the right wing, cut into the box, and unleashed a skillful trivela shot into the far corner, leaving Ryan rooted to the spot.

In the 38th minute, during a Real Madrid counter-attack, Vinicius played a diagonal pass to Mastantuono, who was free on the right wing. The $72 million Argentinian signing opted not to pass to Mbappe, instead shifting the ball to his weaker right foot and firing a shot from a tight angle into the roof of the net.

At 18 years and 40 days old, Mastantuono became the second-youngest player to score for Real Madrid in La Liga in the 21st century, after Endrick, who scored against Real Valladolid in 8/2024 (at 18 years and 35 days old).

Real Madrid players celebrate Kylian Mbappe's goal, which made the score 3-1. Photo: Reuters

After Etta Eyong's close-range header reduced the deficit, Mbappe quickly responded to extinguish the home side's hopes of a comeback. In the 62nd minute, the French forward burst into the box, feigned a shot, and was fouled by Unai Elgezabal, earning a penalty. Mbappe converted the penalty with a panenka, sending Ryan the wrong way.

The 2018 World Cup winner sealed the victory in the 67th minute, dribbling past Ryan and slotting the ball into an empty net. Mbappe leads the La Liga scoring charts with 7 goals, three ahead of his nearest rivals.

This is the sixth time Real Madrid have won their first six La Liga matches, following the 1958-1959, 1961-1962, 1968-1969, 1987-1988, and 2022-2023 seasons. They won the league title in the 1961-1962, 1968-1969, and 1987-1988 seasons, and were runners-up in 1958-1959 and 2022-2023, finishing behind Barcelona each time.

Xabi Alonso becomes the first Real Madrid manager to win his first six La Liga games since Vanderlei Luxemburgo's seven-game winning streak in 2005.

Real Madrid remain top of La Liga with a perfect 18 points. In the seventh round on 27/9, Alonso's team will visit city rivals Atletico, who are currently 12th.

Hong Duy