Mbappé hat-trick sinks Real Sociedad as Mourinho returns to winning ways at the Bernabéu

Kylian Mbappé scored a hat-trick as Real Madrid defeated Real Sociedad 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday, in the club's first home match since José Mourinho returned as head coach. The France forward opened the scoring in the 40th minute, Luka Sucic equalised four minutes later, and after the interval the hosts shifted through the gears with two more goals from Mbappé and one from Vinícius Júnior.

• Kylian Mbappé hit a hat-trick to power Real Madrid past Real Sociedad (4-1).
• It was the first Bernabéu outing since José Mourinho returned to the Madrid dugout, more than 13 years after his previous home game in charge.
• Luka Sucic briefly levelled for the visitors just before the break.
• Vinícius Júnior made it 3-1 and Mbappé completed his treble ten minutes from time.
• Home fans jeered Madrid during a sluggish first half before the team clicked after the restart.

Bernabéu boos greet a disjointed first half from Real Madrid

Real Madrid looked off the pace for much of the opening 45 minutes. Sloppy in possession, short of rhythm and vulnerable to counterattacks, the hosts heard whistles from the stands before half-time. Real Sociedad carried the sharper threat early on and nearly went ahead in the 10th minute, when Takefusa Kubo pounced on a loose pass near the edge of the box, slipped in Mikel Oyarzabal and Thibaut Courtois kept out the close-range effort.

The visitors threatened again in the 34th minute, Sergio Gómez flashing a fine volley just wide of the far post, as the crowd's frustration began to build. The response, when it came, arrived through a moment of individual brilliance.

Mbappé breaks the deadlock before Sucic strikes back

Five minutes before the interval, Fede Valverde picked up the ball in midfield and split the defence with a superb pass. Mbappé surged into the box, cut onto his left and rifled a shot into the top corner. The Bernabéu mood shifted instantly, but the lead lasted only four minutes.

A long ball caught Real Madrid's back line cold. Ibrahima Konaté, Dean Huijsen and Álvaro Carreras were all exposed after Job Ochieng latched onto it, and his deflected effort fell to Sucic on the right. The midfielder had enough time to steady himself and drill a low finish past Courtois, sending the teams level at 1-1.

Mourinho's half-time switch transforms the game

Mourinho sent on Marc Cucurella at the break and Real Madrid emerged as a different side. Vinícius and Mbappé stretched the visitors with direct running, greater intensity and sharper movement, finding space that had simply not existed in the first half.

On the hour mark, Mbappé and Jude Bellingham exchanged a quick one-two, leaving the France captain free inside the area to beat Álex Remiro with a low finish. Eight minutes later, Bellingham's pressing won the ball back near the byline and his low cross gave Vinícius the simplest of tap-ins from close range.

There is always a sense of justice in the boos and the applause, and the odd boo now and then doesn't do anyone any harm – it helps you grow. We all know the Santiago Bernabéu and just how demanding the fans are here, and I am very pleased with how my players responded under pressure and put in a great second half, in which we could even have scored more goals.

Mbappé completes the hat-trick and Mourinho hails the collective

The result was sealed in the 80th minute. Vinícius slipped a clever pass behind the defence and Mbappé, showing the composure of an elite finisher, lifted a delicate chip over Remiro to complete his treble and make it 4-1.

After the final whistle, Mourinho praised his star striker while keeping the focus on the team as a whole. "This guy is incredible," he said of Mbappé. "I see him really hungry to make history with Real Madrid, and I see a team where, despite Kylian being Kylian, it's hard for me not to talk about the team."

How the Champions League playoff night unfolded

Wednesday's European action brought other notable results in the Champions League playoffs. Fenerbahce upset Lyon in France to advance, while Norway's Viking Stavanger joined Bodø/Glimt in the league phase after beating Dinamo Zagreb. AEK Athens, with a Barnabas Varga double and a goal from former Real Madrid forward Luka Jovic, thrashed Levski Sofia 4-0, and Slovan Bratislava needed extra time plus a strike from Panama's Cristian Martínez to knock out Slovenian champions Celje.

Those results mean the league-phase draw will include the likes of Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Manchester City and Barcelona in Pot 1. Fenerbahce, after eliminating Lyon, slot into Pot 3.