UCL: Mbappe, Vinicius Shine As Madrid Thrash Monaco

Kylian Mbappe struck twice and Vinicius Jr scored a spectacular solo goal and provided two assists as Real Madrid cruised to a 6-1 victory over Monaco at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday in the Champions League.

The victory lifted Real to second place in the standings with 15 points, level with third-placed Bayern Munich and trailing leaders Arsenal by six, as they moved closer to securing a top-eight finish and direct qualification for the round of 16.

Monaco are 20th on nine points, giving them a chance of reaching the knockout-phase playoffs.

Mbappe opened the scoring in the fifth minute and gave Madrid a two-goal lead when he found the net again in the 26th, while Franco Mastantuono added their third goal six minutes after halftime.

Monaco defender Thilo Kehrer inadvertently turned a Vinicius cross into his own net in the 55th minute and the Brazilian crowned his man-of-the-match performance in the 63rd with an extraordinary solo goal, firing into the top corner after dribbling past three Monaco defenders inside the box.

Monaco pulled one back in the 72nd minute with a Jordan Teze strike before Jude Bellingham added to Real’s tally with a strike from inside the box in the 80th.

The tension that permeated the Bernabeu during Saturday’s LaLiga clash with Levante was absent as Real Madrid’s inspired display won over a crowd frustrated by recent setbacks and the sacking of manager Xabi Alonso last week.

The fans showed their support, particularly for Vinicius Jr and Bellingham, who faced whistles on Saturday but received cheers this time around.