Kylian Mbappe struck twice and Vinicius Jr scored a spectacular solo goal and provided two assists as Real Madrid cruised to a 6-1 win over Monaco at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The comprehensive victory moved Madrid into second place in the standings with 15 points, level with third-placed Bayern Munich and clear of leaders Arsenal by six points, as they moved closer to securing a place in the top eight and direct qualification for the round of 16.
Monaco are 20th with nine points, giving them a chance to reach the play-offs in the knockout stages.
Mbappe opened the scoring in the fifth minute, giving Madrid a two-goal lead when he found the net again in the 26th minute, while Franco Mastantuono added the side’s third goal six minutes after the break.
Monaco defender Thilo Kehrer inadvertently turned a Vinicius cross into his own net in the 55th minute and the Brazilian crowned his man-of-the-match performance in the 63rd with an extraordinary solo goal, firing into the top corner after dribbling past three Monaco defenders into the penalty area.
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Monaco pulled one back in the 72nd minute with a Jordan Teze strike before Jude Bellingham added to Real’s tally with a strike from inside the penalty area in the 80th.
The tension that prevailed at the Bernabeu during Saturday’s La Liga clash with Levante was absent as Real Madrid’s inspired performance won over a crowd frustrated by recent setbacks and the sacking of manager Xabi Alonso last week.
The fans showed their support, especially for Vinicius Jr and Bellingham, who were whistled on Saturday but received cheers this time.
It took Real Madrid just five minutes to seize the initiative, with Mbappe driving in a low finish after Mastantuono’s good run from the right, and he extended the home side’s lead in the 26th minute with a clinical counter-attack.
Arda Guler’s sharp through ball caused Vinicius to burst down the left. The Brazilian burst into the penalty area and delivered a precise low cross that Mbappe calmly tapped past Monaco keeper Philipp Kohn for his second of the evening.
After the break, Real Madrid turned on the style. In the 51st minute, Vinicius shot through the middle and slid a perfectly weighted through ball to Mastantuono, who fired a first-time finish into the far corner.
Vinicius continued to torment Monaco’s defense with another dangerous run down the left that ended with a low cross into the penalty area that forced Kehrer into an own goal when he accidentally turned the ball past his own keeper.
In the 63rd minute, Vinicius scored the goal of the night, with a thunderous shot into the top right corner, causing the crowd to chant his name as he celebrated with new manager Alvaro Arbeloa. It was his first goal at the Santiago Bernabéu since early October.
“I think Vinicius not only hugged me, but also hugged all the Real Madrid fans around the world,” Arbeloa said. MovistarPlus.
“Everyone is very happy with the collaboration between Vini and the fans and we will enjoy Vini here for a long time.
«I think it was a wonderful match, in our stadium, with our fans. The players enjoyed it, there were some great goals – this is what we want to see.»
Monaco pulled one back and took advantage of a Real Madrid mistake. Dani Ceballos lost the ball on the edge of his own penalty area, allowing Teze to pounce and fire a low shot past Thibaut Courtois.
However, Real Madrid did not settle for five. Bellingham added to the score after Federico Valverde pounced on a rebound on the edge of the penalty area.
The Uruguayan played a composed through ball to the Englishman, who surrounded Kohn before ending up in an empty net.
Published on January 21, 2026
