Mbappé Equals Cristiano Ronaldo’s Record as Real Madrid Beat Sevilla
The French star celebrated his birthday and, after pushing all night, delivered a historic goal at the Bernabéu
Real Madrid closed out the year with a hard-fought win over Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabéu, where Kylian Mbappé and Thibaut Courtois emerged as the key figures to ease the pressure on Xabi Alonso. The Belgian goalkeeper kept the Andalusian side at bay, while Mbappé found the net to equal Cristiano Ronaldo’s record, sealing a 2–0 victory for Los Blancos.
Real Madrid Made to Work Against Sevilla
Matías Almeyda’s side — whose coach was sent off at halftime — controlled the early stages, but the quality of Real Madrid’s stars eventually tipped the balance. Vinícius Júnior tried to cause problems with his pace, though Mbappé and Rodrygo initially lacked sharpness.
It took Jude Bellingham stepping up, rising to meet the ball with a superb header to make it 1–0.
For Sevilla, Romero and Alexis Sánchez were the most active. The Chilean forward looked like his old self, breaking away on several occasions and even attempting a bicycle kick, but the visitors failed to find a breakthrough thanks to Courtois’ solidity.
Sevilla’s intensity faded further after Almeyda’s dismissal at halftime and the later red card shown to Marcão following a foul on Jude Bellingham
Mbappé Equals Cristiano Ronaldo’s Record
Kylian Mbappé, who turned 27 on Saturday, looked tense at times and had a couple of chances, including a shot that struck the post. It seemed as though it might not be his night.
But the Frenchman kept pushing, and the breakthrough came when Rodrygo was brought down inside the box. The referee awarded a penalty, allowing the World Cup winner to reach 59 goals in a calendar year — the same total Cristiano Ronaldo achieved with Real Madrid in 2013.
