Kylian Mbappe’s superb form will be decisive in Real Madrid’s battle for trophies this season.
The France international scored twice in the 2-1 La Liga weekend win away at Villarreal to keep Carlo Ancelotti’s side right in the title hunt.
Mbappe will now head away on international duty with France ahead of a crunch run of games until the end of the campaign.
Alongside their battle to retain the Spanish title, Ancelotti’s charges kick off April with a Copa del Rey semi final second leg against Real Sociedad, before facing Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League quarter finals.
Mbappe is now up to 20 La Liga goals this season with 31 in all competitions as he seeks to back up his pledge to end the campaign strongly.
The former PSG star admitted he was frustrated with his first few months in Madrid, amid some minor injury issues, but he has kicked on since the start of 2025.
His tally of 31 brings him up to No.4 on the list of Real Madrid players with the most goals scored in their debut season, ahead Brazilian icon Ronaldo Nazario who scored 30 in 2002/03.
Next in Mbappe’s sights are Cristiano Ronaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy, tied on 33, from 2009/10 and 2006/07 respectively.
The outright first season leader remains Chile legend Ivan Zamarano, who scored 37 in 1992/93 after joining from Sevilla, and Mbappe will be confident of breaking that 32-year record in 2025.
Despite the goals scored by all of these incredible strikers from Real Madrid’s past in those examples, there was no Champions League title win at the end of the campaign in any of the four years counted.
Only in the examples of Ronaldo Nazario and Van Nistelrooy did Real Madrid go on to win La Liga that year with CR7 and Zamarano’s debut seasons seeing Barcelona crowned as champions of Spain in the final reckoning.
