Madrid: Kylian Mbappe said he had bounced back from hitting rock bottom after helping Real Madrid thrash Sevilla 4-2 on Saturday to move second in La Liga above stuttering rivals Barcelona. After Atletico Madrid beat Barca on Saturday to claim top spot at Christmas, Carlo Ancelotti's side also took advantage with a comfortable home win which leaves them a point behind the leaders. Madrid coach Ancelotti said ahead of Sevilla's visit that Mbappe's adaptation period had ended following his summer switch from Paris Saint-Germain and the French forward proved the coach right with a strong performance and his 14th goal of the season across all competitions.
Fede Valverde also netted a brilliant effort from range, with Rodrygo Goes and Brahim Diaz on the scoresheet for the hosts too, the latter assisted by a clever Mbappe pass. Isaac Romero and Dodi Lukebakio scored for Sevilla, although they were thoroughly outplayed on veteran defender Jesus Navas' final game for the club. "I think that we know each other better, my arrival changed a lot of things, and now, as the coach said, the adaptation is over and I feel very good in the team," Mbappe told Real Madrid TV.
"We can see on the pitch that I click better with my team-mates and now we're all playing better." Mbappe, back after a brief absence with a thigh injury, scored for Madrid in midweek as they won the Intercontinental Cup. It was welcome relief for the forward after missing two penalties in recent weeks against Liverpool and.
