Real Madrid moved back level on points with Barcelona at the top of La Liga on Saturday night, courtesy of goals from Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham, which resulted in a 3-2 win over Leganes. The brace for Mbappe continued his pursuit of the Pichichi award in his first season in Spain.
Mbappe is now just one goal off Robert Lewandowski (before he takes part in Barcelona-Girona) in the top scorer race in La Liga, moving onto 22 goals. In total, the Frenchman has 33 across all competitions, meaning he has already levelled the total managed by Cristiano Ronaldo in his first season, the last comparable signing in terms of profile. The record, held by Ivan Zamorano (1992-93) and Fernando Sanudo (1934-35) is 37 in a debut season.
It is particularly impressive given his slower start to life in the Spanish capital, in which he himself declared that he hit ‘rock bottom’ at one point. The 26-year-old has certainly found his confidence again though, and according to Diario AS, is more than anyone else, the difference-maker in Spain. They say that of the 63 points that Real Madrid have managed in La Liga, 18 of them have come directly as a result of Mbappe’s goals. In total, Mbappe accounts for 29% of all of Real Madrid’s goals, an indication of just how crucial he has been for Los Blancos this season.
Mbappe was heavily criticised during Real Madrid’s Champions League Round of 16 tie with Atletico Madrid, where he, and the side as a whole, struggled for opportunities. Taking into account his dip in November, he is still averaging a goal contribution every 99 minutes. Even if there is a sense that he has not yet reached his full potential, it is inescapable that, in a season where few Real Madrid players have hit their peak consistently, Mbappe has made the difference more often than anyone else for Carlo Ancelotti.
