KYLIAN MBAPPE SCORED a screamer and set up another goal as Real Madrid thrashed Sevilla 4-2 on Sunday 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.
What a goal by Kylian Mbappé 🤯
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) December 22, 2024
The Frenchman strikes from range to hand Real Madrid the lead against Sevilla 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/1l9CZwRPLz
Fede Valverde also netted a brilliant effort from range, with Rodrygo Goes and Brahim Diaz on the scoresheet for the hosts too.
Isaac Romero and Dodi Lukebakio scored for Sevilla, although they were thoroughly outplayed on veteran defender Jesus Navas’ final game for the club.
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 Athletic Bilbao, as well as suffering criticism for his form.
Borussia Dortmund scored three goals in a devastating five-minute spell to beat Wolfsburg 3-1 and end the year in the top six of the Bundesliga.
Dortmund came into this game without a win in their previous three league outings but produced some stylish attacking moments to blow Wolfsburg away on the road.
Dutchman Donyell Malen got things moving, turning in Ramy Bensebaini’s corner from close range.
The visitors doubled their lead through the impressive young Germany star Max Beier, who met Julian Brandt’s through ball with a sublime first-time finish with the outside of his right foot.
Beier turned provider just two minutes later, cutting back a low cross for an unmarked Brandt to find the bottom corner.
Wolfsburg were stunned, having conceded in the 25th, 28th and 30th minutes and the rest of the contest was a damage limitation exercise for Ralph Hasenhuettl’s side, although they pulled one back in the second half through Denis Vavro.
Dortmund had Pascal Gross sent off just after the hour but it didn’t threaten to derail a win that keeps them within two points of third place.
Atalanta surged back to the top of the Serie A standings with a Charles De Ketelaere-inspired 3-2 win at home to Empoli on Sunday, while inconsistent Roma thrashed Parma 5-0.
De Ketelaere was twice on target for Atalanta in the topsy-turvy encounter — his second goal proving to be the winner with just four minutes left on the clock.
Ademola Lookman was also on the scoresheet to ensure Gian Piero Gasperini’s side leapfrogged Napoli back into top spot.
The Bergamo-based side restored their two-point buffer over Napoli, who had moved a point ahead of them following their 2-1 win at Genoa on Saturday.
Earlier, Roma bounced back from last weekend’s surprise 2-0 loss at Como, which had left Claudio Ranieri’s side within two points of the drop zone, to thump Parma in the Italian capital.
Paulo Dybala hit a brace, with goals also coming from Alexis Saelemaekers, Leandro Paredes and Artem Dovbyk as Roma moved to 10th place.
Ireland under-19 star, Ike Orazi (17) has just come on for his Stade Reims first team debut in the Coupe de France!🇮🇪
— Rep of Ireland Player Tracker (@reptracker) December 22, 2024
The former @SRFCAcademy and @CorduffFC man is the youngest player in Reims match-day squad, the only player born in 2007.
A potential superstar!💫 pic.twitter.com/fyAzSWQ5Wb
Elsewhere in the Coupe de France, Ireland U19 player Ike Orazi came on for first-team debut for Stade Reims with their 3-1 victory over Association Still Mutzig.
Orazi is a former Shamrock Rovers Academy player.
- came across Dave Farrar’s account of the 92 tale in The Blizzard #1 few hours after above piece, recommending that magazine highly (http://www.theblizzard.co.uk/product/issue-one-digital-download/)
Every fan and witness to the 84 and 86 campaigns are left wondering and regretting what might have been. Despite the so-called “folksy, light-hearted Danish attitude” they did beat England at Wembley, Eire at Landsdown, Italy, USSR, Germany but alas never Spain. Plenty of talent, national and UEFA cup champions in the squad and the 1977 EU footballer of the year Allan Simonsen. Hard to imagine Denmark will ever produce a better forward duo than Elkjær and Laudrup.
1992 was a freak summer in a competition with only 8 teams and before no-playback-to-keeper rule was added. Brian Laudrup was in the squad btw (Michael wasn’t, apparently he watched the final on TV at Jan Mølby’s wedding…).