Real Madrid claimed the top spot in La Liga on Wednesday night, having defeated Real Sociedad 4-1 in their first home match of the 2026-27 season. Jose Mourinho marked his return to the Bernabeu’s home dugout with a positive debut, as Kylian Mbappe secured a hat-trick, complemented by Vinicius Junior’s first goal of the season.

Despite a win at Espanyol in their La Liga opener last weekend, Real Madrid’s performance was less than convincing. Although they faced challenges against La Real, their display was stronger this time, particularly thanks to Mbappe’s goal-scoring prowess.

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Player Ratings

Thibaut Courtois – 6/10

The Belgian goalkeeper had just a minimal workload, making two saves but failing to prevent Luka Sucic from equalizing just before halftime.

Denzel Dumfries – 6/10

Dumfries struggled in his debut against Espanyol, and his performance at home was similarly unremarkable, as he struggled to make an attacking impact and faced repeated challenges from La Real.

Ibrahima Konate – 6.5/10

Konate had a decent outing but was caught off guard for La Real’s equalizer, raising concerns for both him and Mourinho.

Dean Huijsen – 7/10

Huijsen started the season on a strong note, following a solid performance in Catalonia with another commendable display in this match.

Alvaro Carreras – 6/10

Carreras had two chances to secure a starting role early in the season but faltered on both occasions. He was substituted at halftime, making way for Marc Cucurella.

Federico Valverde – 7/10

Valverde made a crucial assist to Mbappe for the opening goal and worked hard throughout, although he was caught out of position for La Real’s goal. Nonetheless, he showed an overall strong performance.

Bernardo Silva – 7/10

Mourinho’s choice to utilize Silva as a defensive midfielder paid off, as the veteran Portuguese displayed an impressive all-around performance in his home debut.

Arda Guler – 7/10

Guler showed his worth in attacking positions, although he lacked the decisive touches he exhibited against Espanyol the previous week.

Jude Bellingham – 9/10

Bellingham’s season begins impressively, following his MVP performance against Espanyol with another stellar outing at the Bernabeu, contributing two assists, including a vital setup for Vinicius Junior’s goal.

Vinicius Junior – 7.5/10

After a quiet first half, Vinicius excelled in the second half, scoring with a perfect assist from Bellingham and providing an extraordinary pass for Mbappe’s hat-trick.

Kylian Mbappe – 9.5/10

After a rusty performance against Espanyol, Mbappe found his rhythm at the Bernabeu. He consistently posed a threat in attack, netting three well-taken goals and continuing his strong scoring record against La Real, having now tallied seven goals in four La Liga appearances.

Substitutes

Marc Cucurella – 7/10

Cucurella made a significant impact after coming on, proving to be a better option on the left flank than Carreras.

Eduardo Camavinga – 6/10

Camavinga contributed well but received an unnecessary yellow card for a late foul on Goncalo Guedes.

Brahim Diaz – 6.5/10

Diaz looked promising after his introduction, scoring a goal that was later ruled out by VAR for offside on Carlos Espi.

Yan Diomande – 6/10

Diomande had a noteworthy moment as he charged into the La Real area late in the game, although he is still regaining form following his transfer from RB Leipzig.

Carlos Espi – 6/10

Espi couldn’t find the net in his home debut but nearly assisted in a fifth goal for Real Madrid before being ruled offside.

Real Madrid are top of La Liga on Wednesday night, having defeated Real Sociedad 4-1 in their first home match of the 2026-27 season. Jose Mourinho’s first match back at the Bernabeu in the home dugout was a positive one, as a hat-trick from Kylian Mbappe led the way alongside Vinicius Junior’s first goal of the campaign.

Although they won at Espanyol in their La Liga opener last weekend, Real Madrid did not convince at all. And while they did struggle at times against La Real, they were much more convincing – and just as important was Mbappe’s performance in front of goal.

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Player ratings

Thibaut Courtois – 6/10

The Belgian stopper did not have much to do. He made two saves, but was unable to stop Luka Sucic bringing the visitors level just before half time.

Denzel Dumfries – 6/10

Dumfries did not have a great debut against Espanyol, and his first home performance wasn’t much better. Struggled to make an impact in attack, and La Real got down his side many times throughout the 94 minutes.

Ibrahima Konate – 6.5/10

Solid enough performance from Konate, although he was beaten too easily for La Real’s equaling goal, which will concern both him and Jose Mourinho.

Dean Huijsen – 7/10

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Huijsen has made a promising start to the season. Done well in Catalonia at the weekend, and followed that up with another good showing here.

Alvaro Carreras – 6/10

Carreras has had two opportunities to stake a claim for a starting spot at the start of the season, but he has failed to take either. He was replaced at half time in this one, with Marc Cucurella coming in.

Federico Valverde – 7/10

Valverde delivered a fantastic pass to Mbappe for the deadlock-breaking goal, and while he worked hard, he was well out of position for La Real’s goal. Nevertheless, he was more than good enough.

Bernardo Silva – 7/10

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Mourinho sees Silva as a defensive midfielder, and you can see why. It was a very impressive all-round performance from the veteran Portuguese man, whose home debut went very well.

Arda Guler – 7/10

Yan Diomande will not walk into the Real Madrid line-up as long as Guler is fit. The Türkiye international was very good in attacking areas, although he lacked the decisiveness that he showed against Espanyol last weekend.

Jude Bellingham – 9/10

What a start to the season Bellingham is having. After his MVP display against Espanyol, he followed that up with another top showing at the Bernabeu – with two assists to show for it. His performance was summed up by his dogged work to set up Vinicius Junior for Real Madrid’s third goal of the night.

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Vinicius Junior – 7.5/10

He struggled to make a telling impact in the first half, but he was top class in the second. Could not miss when Bellingham put it on a plate for him to make it 3-1, and his pass for Mbappe’s hat-trick goal was outrageously good.

Kylian Mbappe – 9.5/10

Mbappe was clearly very rusty against Espanyol, but he was at his best here. He always provided an outlet in attack, and all three of his goals were top finishes that he never looked like fluffing. He loves playing La Real, against whom he has now scored seven goals in four La Liga matches.

Substitutes

Marc Cucurella – 7/10

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Cucurella was very good when he came on, and provided a much better option on the left than Carreras.

Eduardo Camavinga – 6/10

Competed well, but picked up an unnecessary yellow card late on for catching Goncalo Guedes in the face.

Brahim Diaz – 6.5/10

Looked good when he came on. He did score, but VAR called it back after replays showed Carlos Espi was offside.

Yan Diomande – 6/10

Had a very nice moment late on when he drove into the La Real area, but he’s clearly still building up after his big-money move from RB Leipzig.

Carlos Espi – 6/10

Unable to strike on his home debut, but almost created a fifth goal for Real Madrid until he was called offside.