Kylian Mbappe on Saturday equaled Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of 59 goals in a calendar year for Real Madrid with a late penalty in his side’s 2-0 home win over Sevilla in Spanish La Liga, with the French forward celebrating his 27th birthday in style.
Mbappe missed several earlier chances before getting his opportunity from the spot four minutes from time, and he made no mistake to net his 59th goal in as many games across all competitions this year to level Ronaldo’s 2013 haul.
Jude Bellingham put Real in front in the opening half and Sevilla went down to 10 men with 22 minutes remaining after Marcao received a second booking, but the hosts had keeper Thibaut Courtois to thank for keeping them ahead.
Photo: AP
Real are second in the La Liga standings on 42 points, one behind Barcelona who were away to third-placed Villarreal last night, while Sevilla are ninth on 20 points.
Xabi Alonso’s side were looking to end the year on a high note after losing top spot last month with three consecutive draws, and they saw it out with three successive wins in all competitions, but it was far from a straightforward success.
Sevilla created plenty of problems early on, with Isaac Romero chipping a shot narrowly wide when sent through on goal, bringing whistles from the home crowd with Real under pressure.
Mbappe sent a snap shot wide, as the hosts struggled to find a clear-cut chance, and Sevilla’s Lucien Agoume put another strike wide for the visitors before Real went in front seven minutes before the break.
Rodrygo put a free-kick into the box, and Bellingham rose to power a header into the far corner to settle Real’s nerves at the break.
Mbappe sent an effort straight at the keeper and dragged another shot wide, while at the other end Courtois twice denied Alexis Sanchez and Romero with Real all too easy to open up at the back.
From a corner, Mbappe hit the crossbar with a header and after Marcao’s sending-off Rodrygo struck a beautiful shot on the turn, but Sevilla keeper Odysseas Vlachodimos touched it onto the bar.
Real were hanging on for the win with Mbappe still laboring to find the net when Juanlu Sanchez fouled Rodrygo in the box, and the birthday boy stepped up to score before pulling out Ronaldo’s celebration.
Mbappe thought he had been gifted the perfect chance to score again when the referee pointed to the spot two minutes later, but the official changed his mind after a video assistant referee check, and the Frenchman had to settle for a share of the record.
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