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VALENCIA, Spain: Real Madrid extended their winning start to La Liga with a comfortable 4-1 triumph at Levante on Tuesday.
Kylian Mbappe scored twice to reach seven league goals in six matches as Xabi Alonso’s side maintained their 100 percent record.
Vinicius Junior opened the scoring with a superb finish and Franco Mastantuono was also on target for the league leaders.
Second-placed Barcelona visit Real Oviedo on Thursday, with the Spanish champions trailing Madrid by five points.
“It was a very good game, from the start, we were really committed in defense and the first goal was fundamental, to go ahead and give us confidence,” said Alonso.
Vinicius was unhappy to be taken off by Alonso during the win over Espanyol on Saturday but the Brazilian winger started on the left flank and delivered.
Since coming second to Manchester City’s Rodri in last year’s Ballon d’Or rankings Vinicius has struggled for consistency.
However, he found his rhythm at the Ciutat de Valencia stadium and opened the scoring after 28 minutes, following a bright start to the game.
“Vini had a very complete, very good game and I am very happy for him,” said Alonso.
Valencia goalkeeper Mathew Ryan made a good save to deny Vinicius and Mastantuono hit the bar from the rebound as Los Blancos threatened in the opening stages.
Then fed by Fede Valverde on the right of the box, Vinicius used the outside of his right boot to bend a sumptuous effort in at the far post.
Ivan Romero and Adrian de la Fuente came close early for Levante but they were forced back and Madrid found their second when Vinicius set up Mastantuono, who rifled into the top corner.
It was the promising 18-year-old attacker’s first goal for the club since his summer switch from River Plate.
Ryan denied Vinicius with a good stop from close range before half-time.
Levante striker Karl Etta Eyong, in fine form himself at the start of the season, nodded home his fourth goal from close range after Romero’s cross was deflected and looped into the air.
It offered Levante a brief glimmer of hope but that was quickly quashed by Mbappe.
Unai Elgezabal clumsily brought down the French superstar in the box and Mbappe cheekily dinked the resulting penalty down the middle for the third.
Then two minutes later the forward, released by Arda Guler, rounded Ryan and tapped home his second of the night.
- ‘A good path’ -

Mbappe struggled in his first few months at Madrid after joining from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2024, but hit top form in the second half of the season.
The striker has carried that into the new campaign and has nine goals in seven games across all competitions, helping Madrid start the campaign in ideal fashion.
“There are still things we can do better, but we’re on a good path and we have to continue along it,” said Alonso, with Los Blancos facing city rivals Atletico on Saturday.
“We’re in a construction phase... there’s still a lot we have to do.
“We’re building a solid base, and in the team many players feel connected and important.”
Villarreal earned a late 2-1 win at Sevilla to rise to third in the table, above fourth-placed Espanyol who drew 2-2 with Valencia.
Bottom side Girona earned a creditable 1-1 draw at Athletic Bilbao, fifth.

Fiston Mayele scored a hat-trick as Pyramids of Egypt defeated Al-Ahli 3-1 in the FIFA African-Asian Pacific Cup on Tuesday in Jeddah to move into the next stage of the 2025 FIFA International Cup. 

These winners of the Champions Leagues in Asia and Africa played out an entertaining affair, but the club from Cairo ran out deserved winners and will meet a team from South or North America in the next stage with European title-holders Paris Saint-Germain waiting in December’s final.

Just a few days earlier, Al-Ahli came back from 3-0 down against Al-Hilal to draw 3-3 but found the African champions a tougher nut to crack. 

The visitors, who had come close earlier, stunned the home fans after 20 minutes. Mayele, top scorer in the CAF Champions League last season, collected possession from Ibrahim Toure just outside the area, made a little space for himself and then sent a low shot arrowing into the bottom corner past Eduardo Mendy. 

Just after the half-hour, Al-Ahli came close to the equalizer. First, Enzo Millot had a one-on-one with the goalkeeper but his shot was saved by Ahmed El-Shenawy, and the resultant corner drifted across the face of goal with no green shirt able to connect.

In the 43rd minute, Millot spun away from Osama Galal in the area and was caught by the defender. The referee rightfully pointed to the spot and up stepped Ivan Toney to send the goalkeeper the wrong way.

Pyramids came within a whisker of retaking their lead on the stroke of half-time but Mahmoud Zalaka’s powerful shot from inside the area came back off the post, and there was still time for Abu Al-Shamat to shoot right at El-Shenawy from close range.

Mayele had a second-half goal ruled out for offside just after the hour and within a minute or two, Toney’s close-range header was well-saved. However, the Egyptians retook the lead in the 71st minute thanks to Mayele once more as he turned in a Zalaka cross from the right at the near post.

It was 3-1 soon after as the DR Congo star brought down a long ball in the area and then shot the rebound home after Mendy had saved his first shot. 

There was no coming back from that for the Asian champions and the Pyramids advance to the next stage.