Mbappe’s double lifts 10-man Real Madrid past Marseille
MADRID: Kylian Mbappe delivered under pressure, scoring two penalties to hand Real Madrid a 2-1 victory over Olympique de Marseille in their Champions League group stage opener at the Santiago Bernabeu. The win came despite Madrid finishing the match with 10 men after captain Dani Carvajal was shown a late red card.
The night began dramatically as coach Xabi Alonso was forced into an early change when Trent Alexander-Arnold limped off just three minutes in. Still, Madrid pressed forward, with Mbappe nearly finding the opener through an audacious bicycle kick and teenager Franco Mastantuono rattling the post with a driven effort.
Marseille goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli was immense, producing a string of outstanding saves to keep his side in the contest, including a spectacular one-handed stop to deny Mbappe at close range. But the French star eventually broke through from the penalty spot, holding his nerve twice to edge Madrid ahead in a match full of intensity, errors, and late drama that had the Bernabeu crowd on edge until the final whistle.
