Madrid’s 4-3 Athens thriller: Mbappe’s goals light up Real Madrid’s Champions League bid

Importance of the three points and team unity

Xabi Alonso, Real Madrid’s coach, emphasized the significance of Wednesday night’s 4-3 victory over Olympiakos at the Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus for the Champions League group stage. He stressed that sealing progress to the knockout rounds required freshness, belief, and a renewal of confidence after a rough spell.

The 44-year-old manager reiterated that the result was essential to break the negative run and restore confidence ahead of securing a place in the last eight of Europe’s premier club competition.

Madrid’s quartet came from French star Kylian Mbappe in minutes 22, 24, 29, and 59, while Olympiakos replied through Shikenyo, Mehdi Tarimi, and Ayoub El Kaabi at minutes 8, 52, and 81. The encounter swung back and forth in front of a raucous Greek crowd.

With this win, Real Madrid moved to 12 points at the top of the group, while Olympiakos remained on two, rooted at the bottom as the group phase nears its end.

Historically, Madrid had visited Athens seven times to face Panathinaikos, AEK, or Olympiakos, without a single win—five draws and two defeats—so this victory represented a historic away success for the club in the Greek capital.

Focus on the three points and team unity

In the post-match press conference, Alonso said, The important thing was the victory and breaking the slump. Reacquiring that feeling was essential. The three points are very important to approach the eight-strong knockout phase. It was a difficult win and a hard-fought one, but it was necessary for us.

He added, In the Champions League there are moments for everyone. I liked the team’s performance a lot: even though we fell behind, we kept our calm and didn’t lose control. We turned the game around, and in the second half there were back-and-forth spells between us and the opponent.

Mbappe, for his part, spoke about the night’s success and Madrid’s need to bounce back after a tough spell. He noted that returning to victory was crucial for entry into the top eight, and stressed that the team must maintain focus and momentum for the remainder of the campaign.

He also praised Vinicius Junior and himself for the attacking display, saying, We need everyone. While I stood out today because of the goals, what mattered most was changing the negative dynamic and celebrating together as a group.

Mbappe expressed confidence in the unit, saying, I see the team in good shape. There are things to improve, but in a club like Real Madrid, talk about you is normal. We must protect each other, protect the coach, stay united, and give everything for the shirt.

The French forward also highlighted the ongoing European challenge: We know there will be many tough matches this season. Today we won, and that is the standard we must aim for. There is still a long road ahead, and we must give our all for this badge.

Mbappe’s record and European milestones

According to Opta, Mbappe’s first-half hat-trick marked the third-fastest trio in Champions League history. Only Marco Simone for AC Milan against Rosenborg in September 1996 (24 minutes) and Robert Lewandowski for Bayern Munich against RB Salzburg in March 2022 (23 minutes) were quicker.

The data also show Mbappe has now scored four away hat-tricks, the most by any player in European competition history, further cementing his status as a prolific performer on the road.

The achievement comes after a spell of criticism for a drought in front of goal across three Madrid fixtures, underscoring how crucial his performance was to Real Madrid’s European ambitions.

As the night closed, Mbappe and Madrid looked to carry the momentum into the remainder of a demanding campaign, with the squad’s cohesion and resolve cited as key ingredients for sustaining pressure on Europe’s elite teams.

And in the end, the night belonged to a Real Madrid side that refused to buckle. A little luck, a lot of grit, and Mbappe’s footwork did the talking for them—and perhaps that’s football’s simplest truth: sometimes you win with a little flair and a lot of faith in your teammates.

Punchline 1: If Real Madrid’s goals were a sniper’s rifle, Mbappe was the scope—zoomed in, and the targets kept lining up. Punchline 2: In football as in humor, the best punchlines come from teamwork—Madrid found theirs, and the crowd found theirs in the chants that followed.