Mbappe’s double penalties lift 10-man Real Madrid past Marseille
Real Madrid began their Champions League campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Marseille at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday night, with Kylian Mbappe scoring two crucial penalties to overturn an early deficit.
The match was filled with incidents from the very beginning. The hosts suffered an early setback when full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold limped off with an injury just five minutes in, replaced by Dani Carvajal.
Despite this, Madrid dominated the opening half, showcasing a relentless attacking approach. They recorded an astounding 28 shots, with 15 on target, while holding just over 40 percent of possession. Mbappe nearly scored a spectacular overhead kick in the second minute, and Franco Mastantuono hit the post moments later. However, it was Marseille who took a surprise lead in the 22nd minute, as Tim Weah finished a swift counter-attack started by Mason Greenwood.
Real Madrid's pressure paid off just six minutes later when a clumsy challenge on Rodrygo resulted in a penalty. Mbappe stepped up and coolly converted from the spot to level the score. Madrid continued to pepper the Marseille goal, but goalkeeper Jeronimo Rulli was in top form, making a series of impressive saves to keep the score level at the break.
The game’s dynamic shifted dramatically in the 70th minute when Dani Carvajal was shown a straight red card for headbutting Rulli after a confrontation, leaving the hosts with 10 men.
Despite going down to 10 men, Madrid continued to look the more likely to find a winner, and after substitute Facundo Medina handled inside the box while challenging Vinicius Junior, the referee pointed to the spot for the second time.
Once again, Mbappe took the responsibility, and smashed home the spot-kick to secure his 50th goal for the club and put Madrid ahead with less than 10 minutes to play.
Marseille pushed for an equalizer in the closing stages, but the 15-time European champions held firm to start their group stage with a valuable three points.