Mbappe Sparks Real Madrid's Revival as Attack Finally Clicks Against Olympiacos

Real Madrid ended their three-match winless run with a crucial 4–3 triumph over Olympiacos on Wednesday night, powered by an extraordinary display from Kylian Mbappé.

With concerns mounting across the Spanish capital in recent weeks, the pressure was mounting on Xabi Alonso and his squad to claim victory during their visit to Karaiskakis Stadium, despite missing seven injured players and Jude Bellingham being deemed unfit to start.

Real Madrid still possessed Mbappé and Vinicius Junior, however, which proved sufficient to emerge victorious in Greece. The French striker netted all four of his team's goals while his attacking partner contributed two assists.

Despite a late rally from the home side, Los Blancos secured their Champions League encounter against Olympiacos, climbing to fifth place in the league phase table.

Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Olympiacos (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Andriy Lunin—7.0: Disappointing distribution overshadowed the keeper's work between the sticks.

RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold—6.5: Weak defending in the penalty area from Alexander-Arnold enabled Olympiacos to score their second. He had minimal involvement otherwise as Real Madrid's offense channeled through the left side.

CB: Raúl Asencio—6.7: Sloppy with possession at times, though Asencio compensated with his physical presence.

CB: Álvaro Carreras—6.9: Adequate performance playing out of position, but struggled in the final stages without Asencio's support.

LB: Ferland Mendy—7.2: Performed well in his first appearance in seven months. Mendy displayed creativity in attack and remained solid defensively, though he'll rue not properly pressuring Martins before Taremi's goal.

DM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—7.6: Barely made a mistake in his comeback from injury. The Frenchman was unfortunate not to find the net.

DM: Eduardo Camavinga—8.0: Delivered an outstanding first half where he registered an assist, won seven of eight duels and was omnipresent defensively before being substituted at halftime due to illness.

RW: Federico Valverde—7.1: A subdued evening from Valverde, who operated mostly in open space on the right while teammates orchestrated the attack from the left.

AM: Arda Güler—7.4: His finest showing in recent memory. With Bellingham absent, Güler resumed orchestrating the offense and again found excellent chemistry with Mbappé.

LW: Vinicius Junior—9.0: Magnificent on the left flank. The winger tormented his compatriot Rodinei throughout the match, overwhelming the fullback with his speed, accuracy and complete ball mastery.

ST: Kylian Mbappé—9.9: Absolutely unstoppable. Mbappé appeared destined to score with every touch, so much that Olympiacos were fortunate he managed only four goals.

Subs not used: Fran González (GK), Javier Navarro (GK), Endrick, Gonzalo García, Rodrygo

Olympiacos (4-2-3-1)

Starting XI: Konstantinos Tzolakis; Rodinei, Panagiotis Retsos, Lorenzo Pirola, Francisco Ortega; Christos Mouzakitis, Dani García; Gelson Martins, Chiquinho, Daniel Podence; Ayoub El Kaabi

Subs used: Mehdi Taremi, Santiago Hezze, Giulian Biancone, Gabriel Strefezza, Costinha

Player of the Match: Kylian Mbappé

Olympiacos 3–4 Real Madrid—How It Developed at Karaiskakis Stadium

Determined to make an impact after being benched over the weekend, Vinicius Jr sparked Real Madrid's energetic opening on Wednesday night. Within three minutes, the winger surged down the left wing and challenged goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis with a curling effort from the box's edge.

Though the attempt was pushed aside, it signaled promise for a Los Blancos attack that entered the match with merely two goals across nearly 300 minutes of play. However, rather than capitalizing on the bright beginning, the visitors grew complacent in midfield and were punished just five minutes afterward.

Smooth combination play from Daniel Podence and Ayoub El Kaabi bypassed Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni, suddenly leaving Chiquinho unmarked at the penalty area's edge to collect the ball and drill home a half-volley.

Down 1–0, Alonso's team produced a commanding reply, spearheaded by Vinicius Jr and Mbappé. The Brazilian delivered an exquisite trivela pass perfectly into his partner's path, who unleashed a right-footed shot under pressure to level the score in the 22nd minute.

Within moments, Mbappé completed a seven-minute hat trick, the second-quickest in Champions League history. He powered home a header—his first wearing the white jersey—for his second goal, then completed a perfectly-timed run with another composed right-footed finish, leaving the hosts helpless.

A 7 minute hat-trick. You don't stay ahead of Real Madrid for long when Mbappe's on the pitch. pic.twitter.com/TBgUMeDhtc

Vinicius Jr believed he joined the scoring in the 32nd minute, but his effort was ruled out for offside in the buildup. Tchouaméni also attempted to reach the scoresheet, but his curling long-range shot struck the crossbar.

Despite controlling the remainder of the first half and early second-half minutes, careless defending from Real Madrid allowed Olympiacos back into contention. A sequence beginning with Gelson Martins beating Ferland Mendy concluded with Trent Alexander-Arnold permitting Mehdi Taremi to head home the hosts' second goal unchallenged.

Vinicius Jr and Mbappé then quickly reestablished their team's two-goal advantage, with the latter securing his fourth goal at Karaiskakis Stadium. Full credit belongs to Real Madrid's No. 7, however, for beating Panagiotis Retsos, penetrating the box and locating the France international.

José Luis Mendilibar's side refused to surrender. El Kaabi powered a header beyond Andriy Lunin to make it 4–3 in the 81st minute. Los Blancos' improvised defense clung to its three points desperately until the final whistle provided salvation.

Olympiacos vs. Real Madrid Halftime Statistics

Olympiacos vs. Real Madrid Full Time Statistics