Is Kylian Mbappe finally at his best with Real Madrid?

Mbappe starred as Madrid secured a 4-1 win over Las Palmas, moving them two points clear of Atletico Madrid.

The French striker scored twice and looked the part of a superstar squad after a shaky start to life in Spain.

He has already scored 18 goals in all competitions this season, including four in his last three appearances.

« I’m really happy, » Mbappe told Real Madrid TV after the match. « Now I have adapted to the team and I can play the way I want, with my teammates, with individuality. We all enjoy it.

« It was an important game, we knew what happened yesterday with Atlético and Barcelona.

« We wanted to win and we did. We got off to a bad start… but the reaction was great. We were in the foreground, we played fast, we attacked the spaces with quality. We scored a lot of goals. We are happy because we are leaders.”

💬 @KMbappe: « The response from the team was outstanding. »#RealMadridLasPalmas pic.twitter.com/eQTczH5BqT

— Real Madrid CF 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) January 19, 2025

This win comes after a disappointing loss to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final.

But their victory over Las Palmas now sees the league leaders seven points clear of their biggest rivals.

« I’m proud of (the team’s) reaction, » added Mbappe. “Losing the Super Bowl was tough and even though we played well in the bowl, we made mistakes and it went to overtime. But we had the personality to win. Today was very important. Now we rely on ourselves to win the league.”

Manager Carlo Ancelotti praised Mbappe’s performance, adding that he is « the best centre-forward in the world ».

« People doubted whether he could play there, » Ancelotti said. « He is a great striker who is comfortable in the middle. His movement is unique and playing inside he can make the most of it.