Kylian Mbappé struck three times as Real Madrid overcame a shaky start to defeat Real Sociedad 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu, handing José Mourinho a victorious return to the home dugout more than 13 years after he last managed the club on that pitch.
The evening began uneasily for the hosts, who were jeered by their own supporters before half-time following a lethargic and error-prone opening period. Real Sociedad looked the more dangerous side early on, nearly taking the lead in the 10th minute when Takefusa Kubo dispossessed a Madrid player near the box and set up Mikel Oyarzabal, only for goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to make the save. The visitors continued to threaten, with Sergio Gómez firing a volley narrowly wide in the 34th minute as frustration grew among the home faithful.
Mbappé lifted the mood five minutes before the interval, finishing off a defense-splitting pass from Fede Valverde by cutting inside and curling a shot into the top corner to put Madrid 1-0 up. The advantage was short-lived, however, as defensive lapses from Ibrahima Konaté, Dean Huijsen and Álvaro Carreras allowed Job Ochieng to latch onto a long ball. His deflected attempt fell to Luka Sucic, who calmly slotted past Courtois to level the score at 1-1 heading into the break.
Mourinho made a change at halftime, introducing Marc Cucurella, and the adjustment paid immediate dividends as Madrid emerged with renewed sharpness and intensity. Vinícius Júnior and Mbappé began stretching Sociedad's defense with direct runs, shifting the balance of the match firmly in the hosts' favor.
Madrid retook the lead in the 60th minute through a slick exchange between Mbappé and captain Jude Bellingham, whose one-two left the Frenchman with space inside the box to finish low past goalkeeper Álex Remiro. Eight minutes later, Bellingham's relentless pressing near the byline won back possession, and his low cross found Vinícius, who tapped in from close range to make it 3-1.
Mbappé sealed his hat-trick in the 80th minute, latching onto a defense-splitting pass from Vinícius and lifting a delicate chip over Remiro to complete the 4-1 scoreline and cap a dominant second-half turnaround.
Speaking after the match, Mourinho reflected on the mixed reaction from supporters during the difficult first half.