Mbappe scores twice as Real Madrid beat Sevilla 4-1 to keep pace with Barcelona

Real Madrid secured a 4-1 victory over Sevilla as Kylian Mbappe scored twice to maintain his impressive start to the season and keep the Spanish giants within six points of La Liga leaders Barcelona.

The French forward scored his 10th and 11th goals of the campaign, continuing his prolific form with 11 goals in 11 appearances across all competitions.

Jose Mourinho's side took control of the encounter in the first half, with Arda Guler opening the scoring in the 30th minute before Mbappe doubled the advantage seven minutes later.

Sevilla attempted to mount a comeback after the interval, but Madrid extended their lead through Mbappe's penalty before both teams scored during the closing stages.

The victory gives Real Madrid valuable momentum ahead of their highly anticipated El Clasico against Barcelona on 25 October.

Guler and Mbappe give Madrid early advantage

Real Madrid established their dominance in the first half, with Turkish midfielder Arda Guler producing an impressive strike to break the deadlock after 30 minutes.

Seven minutes later, Mbappe demonstrated his attacking quality by rounding Sevilla goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos and calmly finishing to put the hosts two goals ahead.

The quick succession of goals left Sevilla facing a difficult task against a Madrid side determined to maintain pressure on Barcelona at the top of the standings.

Mbappe's contribution further highlighted his importance to Madrid's attack, combining intelligent movement with clinical finishing.

Sevilla threaten before Mbappe strikes again

Sevilla showed greater attacking intent in the second half and came close to reducing the deficit through Felix Correia.

The forward struck a volley into the ground, but the ball deflected narrowly over the crossbar as the visitors searched for a way back into the contest.

Despite Sevilla's efforts, Real Madrid regained control when Mbappe was brought down inside the penalty area.

The France international stepped forward to take the resulting spot-kick and converted to complete his brace, extending Madrid's advantage to three goals.

The penalty marked another significant contribution from the forward, who has maintained a remarkable scoring rate during the opening stages of the campaign.

Late goals complete Madrid's victory

Sevilla eventually found a breakthrough when Manu Bueno curled a well-placed effort into the bottom corner, briefly reducing the deficit.

However, Madrid responded through Yan Diomande, who produced a powerful late strike to restore the three-goal advantage and complete the 4-1 victory.

The result underlined Madrid's attacking effectiveness, with goals from Guler, Mbappe and Diomande ensuring that Sevilla's late response did not threaten the outcome.

For Sevilla, the defeat came despite moments of attacking promise, particularly during the second half when they created opportunities to challenge Madrid's defence.

Real Madrid prepare for crucial El Clasico

The victory keeps Real Madrid six points behind Barcelona in the La Liga title race, making their upcoming meeting particularly important.

Madrid will travel to face their rivals on 25 October in a fixture that could influence the early direction of the championship.

A victory against Barcelona would allow Mourinho's side to reduce the gap at the top, while a defeat would leave them further behind their principal domestic rivals.

Mbappe's form will be especially important as Madrid prepare for the encounter. With 11 goals in 11 matches across all competitions, the French striker has established himself as a central figure in the team's attacking performances.

Real Madrid now turn their attention to Barcelona after securing three points against Sevilla, with their next league fixture presenting an opportunity to narrow the six-point gap.