Kairat Almaty 0-5 Real Madrid (Mbappé x3, Camavinga & Díaz). Three points a long way from home… This is my reaction to the game. Coming up: Player ratings, interviews and a podcast.
After an embarrassing defeat over the weekend, Real Madrid would need a heavy score-line to even attempt to make fans look past the derby result. Madrid would have to travel a long way to even get to the game, playing in Kazakhstan for the first time. There were rotations as David Alaba came into the side, and Raúl Asencio
tried his hand at right-back. Dani Ceballos was deployed in midfield, but the regular names filled the rest of the team-sheet. Castilla right-back David Jimenéz was called up to the bench. Vinícius Júnior captained Real Madrid today.
The home side almost made history in the first minute, making a headed chance too simple for Thibaut Courtois. Kylian Mbappé then got things going with two quick-fire chances, before putting Real Madrid 1-0 up via the penalty spot after a foul by the keeper. Mbappé could have had more, but his next two chances were not as accurate, including a glaring miss right in-front of goal after he secured an aesthetic nutmeg. Half-time, 1-0 Real Madrid.
Kylian Mbappé would extend the lead early in the second half with a lofted effort that trickled into the net. He should have had another after linking up with Vinícius Júnior, but his weird attempt dragged well wide. The hosts almost had a penalty until VAR disagreed with the referees decision, and this would spell the end as Kylian would make no mistakes with his next chance – a powerful effort to confirm his hat-trick. Eduardo Camavinga would grab the next goal with a simple header past the keeper for four. Gonzalo García would benefit from ten minutes at the end… It could have been worse, as Endrick would not be seen at all. Gonzalo would still have an impact, setting up Brahim Díaz to score the fifth in added time. Full-time – 5-0 to Real Madrid. Was this the result you expected?
