Hat-trick against Real Sociedad: Mourinho completely won over by a 'crazy' Mbappé

Kylian Mbappé scored a hat-trick on Wednesday evening to deliver Real Madrid a convincing victory over Real Sociedad (4-1), the Merengue’s second consecutive win in La Liga following a more difficult start to the season against Espanyol Barcelona.

While the first half had been trickier, Real Madrid dominated after the break, driven by an omnipresent Mbappé. At his press conference, José Mourinho made no secret of his enthusiasm. “What Kylian did tonight is simply crazy. When you have a player of this calibre in your team, your job as a coach becomes both simpler and more exciting,” said the Portuguese manager. “He doesn’t just score goals: he stretches the lines, creates space for his teammates and installs constant fear in the opposing defence. He delivered a perfect match from start to finish.”

When asked about the French striker’s ability to maintain such a level, Mourinho mentioned the work done in training since his return to the Spanish capital. “I don’t like comparing players, but this guy is incredible. I’m very pleased he made history during the World Cup. There were 25 world champions, but only one will be, I think, for eternity, the best goalscorer in World Cup history,” he stressed, recalling that Mbappé has 22 World Cup goals. “He’s very hungry and wants to make history at Real Madrid too.”

Mourinho was keen to place the individual performance within a collective framework. “Beyond Kylian, it’s hard not to talk about the team. What pleased me was the team’s composure in difficulty, particularly in the first half.” On his star striker’s objectives, the coach was clear: “Whether he scores 40, 50 or 60 goals… I’d prefer him to score 40 and we win titles than 60 without a title. I prefer 40 with a lot of work for the team than 60 by only looking at himself, which often happens with strikers.”