Real Madrid ace Kylian Mbappe says he can finally play the way he wants after helping Los Blancos climb to the top of LaLiga this weekend.
Mbappe starred as Madrid secured a 4-1 win over Las Palmas, moving them two points clear of Atletico Madrid.
The French forward scored twice and looked the part in the superstar squad after a shaky start to life in Spain.
He has now scored 18 goals in all competitions this season, including four in his last three appearances.
“I’m really happy,” Mbappe told Real Madrid TV after the game. “Now I have adapted to the team and I can play as I want, with my teammates, personally. We all enjoy it.
“It was an important game, we knew what happened yesterday, with Atlético and Barcelona.
“We wanted to win and we succeeded. We got off to a bad start… but the reaction was superb. We were in the foreground, played fast, attacked spaces with quality. We scored a lot of goals. We are happy, because we are leaders.”
💬 @KMbappe: “The reaction of the team was extraordinary.”#RealMadridLasPalmas pic.twitter.com/eQTczH5BqT
— Real Madrid CF 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) January 19, 2025
This win comes after a disappointing loss to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final.
But their victory over Las Palmas now puts them seven points ahead of their biggest rivals.
“I am proud of [the team’s] reaction,” added Mbappe. “Losing the Super Cup was difficult, and even though we played well in the cup, we made mistakes and went into overtime. But we had the personality to win. Today was very important. Now we depend on ourselves to win the league.”
Manager Carlo Ancelotti praised Mbappe’s performance, adding that he is “the best centre-forward in the world”.
“People doubted whether he could play there,” Ancelotti said. “He is a great striker, who feels comfortable in the middle. His movement is unique, and playing inside, he can make the most of it.”
