Kylian Mbappe has called on Real Madrid not to slow down in the La Liga title race.
After 21 games played, Los Blancos now have a four point lead over second place Atletico Madrid, after trailing at the start of 2025.
Top spot has already changed hands a few times in the opening weeks of January but the defending champions now have the momentum.
Mbappe notched his first hat trick in Spanish football this weekend as Carlo Ancelotti’s side cruised to a 3-0 win away at Real Valladolid.
It moves Mbappe up to 15 league goals in his debut campaign in Madrid just one behind Robert Lewandowski in the top scorer race this season.
Real Madrid’s focus will now switch to the UEFA Champions League in midweek but Mbappe insisted there is still work to do domestically.
“Wins like this give us confidence, but you know better than I do that nothing is over until matchday 38. We are very confident, but we have to continue like this,” as per Marca.
“I said on my first day that I can play in all three attacking positions, I had to adapt to the team and now everything is clear. I can play on the right, in the centre, on the left.”
Europe now takes centre stage for Mbappe and Ancelotti, as after seven games played in the new league phase structure of the Champions League, the defending champions are tipped to miss out on an automatic last 16 spot, despite a returning to form in a 5-1 win over RB Salzburg.
They need to win away at Stade Brest on January 29, and see a host of other results go in their favour, to stand a chance of reaching the last 16 automatically.
The most likely outcome for Ancelotti and his team is a playoff test at the start of February in a unfamiliar setting for the holders.
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