On Wednesday night, Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe delivered the kind of performance against Manchester City that echoed the dreams he nurtured in his youth, surrounded by posters of his idol Cristiano Ronaldo.
Mbappe’s hat-trick in their Champions League playoff against rivals City sent Los Blancos into the last 16 of the competition. It was a pivotal night for both Mbappe and Real Madrid, who have experienced a turbulent start to their current campaign, exacerbated by the French forward’s initial inconsistency since his highly anticipated transfer from Paris Saint-Germain.
Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
With Madrid needing a standout performance to overcome City's aggregate advantage, Mbappe rose to the occasion, leading Carlo Ancelotti's side to a 3-1 victory on the night and a 6-3 aggregate success.
It was one of those famed Champions League nights at the majestic Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, where Ronaldo so often performed at the peak of his powers when the Spanish giants needed him to stand up and do the business.
When Mbappe arrived in Spain, there were similar expectations for him to replicate Ronaldo’s match-winning performances and remarkable numbers with Real Madrid. But the Frenchman had endured a rather slow start to life at Real, which included missed penalties in crucial matches against Liverpool and Athletic Bilbao.
But Mbappe has found his groove over the last couple of months and is now flying, crowning his uptick in form with a sensational display against City. Three lethal finishes against Pep Guardiola’s men definitely sent a message to his detractors.
"I knew that I couldn't have done worse than what I was doing," Mbappe told Movistar after the match. "I had to play with personality, my adaptation time was over and I have to show my quality."
Having scored 18 goals in his last 18 appearances, it seems like the best is yet to come for the 24-year-old.
Mbappe's ambitions extend beyond merely achieving his long-held dream of playing for Real Madrid. He aspires to leave a lasting legacy at the club, much like his idol Ronaldo.
"Making my dream come true is one thing, but I want to play well here, mark an era and write history at Real Madrid," he explained.
"I've always said I have no limit, if I can score 50 goals I will score them, if I can score more, I'll score more, but the important thing is winning titles.
"In my career I've scored a lot of goals but we have to see if they mean something, because in the end we didn't always win titles... if I can score a lot of goals and we win the trophies, I'll sign for that with my blood."
Additional reporting by AFP
@JohnGoliath82