Kylian Mbappe's Record-Breaking Hat-Trick Leaves Star Striker Frustrated - Here's Why

Kylian Mbappé delivered a stunning hat-trick performance as Real Madrid dominated Champions League debutants Kairat Almaty in a commanding 5-0 victory, yet the French striker left the pitch believing he should have achieved even more.

The Spanish giants traveled an exhausting 4,000 miles from Western Europe to Central Asia merely 19 hours following a devastating 5–2 loss to city rivals Atlético Madrid, seeking to rediscover the form that had propelled Xabi Alonso to six consecutive La Liga victories and a dominant display against Marseille in their Champions League opener.

Following a cautious start that could likely be blamed on the extensive journey, Mbappé broke the deadlock from the penalty spot before adding two more strikes as the 15-time European champions ultimately lived up to expectations in Kazakhstan.

For Mbappé, who has now climbed to sixth place among the Champions League's all-time leading scorers, the performance fell short of his own standards. The early contender for the 2026 Ballon d'Or believed he should have inflicted far greater damage on Kairat than he managed.

Mbappé: I Should Score Five Goals

"A player of my caliber, when presented with five opportunities, should convert all five goals," Mbappé expressed to Movistar after the match. "Tonight, I managed three, which is positive, but I could have netted more. I'll continue working to improve my finishing in front of goal."

Xabi Alonso echoed Mbappé's assessment in his own reflections, stating to journalists: "In this tournament format, when opportunities arise to find the net, you cannot afford to waste them. We had the potential to score more, but we've accomplished our objective for today."

Alonso also saw late strikes from Eduardo Camavinga and Braham Díaz, securing Madrid a comfortable triumph on the scoresheet, but Mbappé emphasized that the weekend's thrashing by Atlético cannot be forgotten.

"We must never overlook, we cannot ignore what transpired this weekend," the 26-year-old stated. "This represents a different tournament, but we must continue reflecting on those events, and strive to improve so we don't endure another evening like that."

Remarkably, Mbappé has already reached 13 goals across all competitions in just nine matches, with this hat-trick complementing the double he scored in the 2–1 triumph over Marseille.