Kylian Mbappe broke a Real Madrid record in Sunday's La Liga clash against Barcelona, but the Frenchman's stunning hat trick was not enough for his side to claim a positive result in the latest instalment of El Clasico.
The forward scored twice in the opening 14 minutes, including one from the penalty spot, to move onto 38 goals for the season for Real Madrid, breaking Ivan Zamorano's record from 1992-93.
Indeed, Mbappe has now become the highest-scoring Real Madrid player in their debut season for the club, and he moved onto 39 for Los Blancos when he completed his treble in the second half of El Clasico.
The 26-year-old has had an incredible season from a personal point of view, and he will have the chance to break the 40-goal barrier in the team's final three league matches of the campaign.
However, Real Madrid's 4-3 defeat has seen Barcelona open up a seven-point lead at the top of the La Liga table, meaning that the title could be decided in the coming week.
© Imago
Mbappe breaks Zamorano record in Real Madrid defeat
Mbappe has now scored 27 times in La Liga, which has taken him two clear of Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski in the standings, with the Poland international an unused substitute on Sunday afternoon.
Real Madrid seem destined to end the 2024-25 campaign with just the UEFA Super Cup to add to their trophy cabinet, but head coach Carlo Ancelotti had no complaints with his team's effort against Barcelona.
"The match was competitive, hard-fought, and evenly contested until the very last minute. It was a match between two great teams. There's nothing to fault the team's attitude for. We competed until the very last minute," Ancelotti told reporters after the game.
"Let's not forget that we have five defenders injured. Let's not forget that. This is the last Clásico of the season. Now we have to finish the season well. There are three matches left and we have to try to win them all."
© Imago
Ancelotti confirms Vinicius injury
Ancelotti also revealed during his post-match press conference that Vinicius Junior suffered an ankle injury late on.
The forward was replaced in the 88th minute of the clash, and he will now be assessed ahead of the team's next game with Mallorca, which will take place at Bernabeu on Wednesday night.
"Vinicius had a sprained ankle," said Ancelotti.
Rodrygo was an unused substitute in El Clasico, and the Real Madrid head coach said that the Brazilian "wasn't in good shape", having recently been missing due to an illness.
Matt Law
