Mbappe's Double from the Spot Guides 10-Man Real Madrid to Champions League Win Over Marseille

Kylian Mbappe struck twice from the penalty spot as 10-man Real Madrid fought their way to a hard-earned Champions League victory against Marseille in their opening group stage clash.

Real were dealt an early blow when Trent Alexander-Arnold was forced off with a suspected hamstring injury just three minutes into the match.

Matters worsened for the Spanish side when his replacement, Dani Carvajal, was shown a red card with 18 minutes remaining. The full-back clashed with Marseille goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, appearing to motion his head toward him during a heated altercation. 

Despite being a man down, the 15-time European champions secured the win thanks to Mbappe’s composure from 12 yards. The French forward confidently dispatched both penalties past Rulli, bringing his tally to six goals in five appearances this season.

Marseille had drawn first blood in the 22nd minute through Timothy Weah. The winger capitalised on a midfield error by Arda Guler—who lost the ball to former Manchester United striker Mason Greenwood—before rifling a shot beyond Thibaut Courtois.

However, the lead was short-lived. Six minutes later, Mbappe levelled the score from the spot after Geoffrey Kondogbia fouled Rodrygo inside the area. The Paris-born striker had already come close to scoring earlier with an audacious bicycle kick.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang nearly restored the French club’s advantage twice before the break. He dragged his first attempt wide, and then saw his second strike punched away by Courtois.

Even after Carvajal’s dismissal, Real Madrid continued to push forward. Their persistence paid off when visiting defender Facundo Medina was penalised for a handball following a physical challenge on Vinicius Jr inside the box.

Mbappe stepped up once more, and although Rulli guessed correctly, the sheer power of the shot ensured Real's victory.

The Spanish giants are seeking to reclaim the continental title after being knocked out by Arsenal in the quarter-finals last season. Under new manager Xabi Alonso, Real are also aiming to improve on last year’s underwhelming league phase performance, where they finished 11th and had to go through the play-offs to reach the knockouts.

Real Madrid’s next Champions League fixture is away to Kairat in Kazakhstan on 30 September, while Marseille will host Ajax on the same evening.

Source: BBC

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