Pure perfection: Mbappé’s historic hat-trick welcomes ‘The Special One’ back to the Bernabéu

On a day marked by José Mourinho's return to the Santiago Bernabéu , it was Kylian Mbappé who brought him peace of mind on his return. A hat-trick by the Frenchman against Real Sociedad (4-1) in a match with doubts in the first half and a clinical finishing display in the second to breathe life into the start of "Mou's" second project.

Six new faces and a new coach, but Real Madrid once again showed in the first 45 minutes the same image from the last two seasons in their debut at the Santiago Bernabéu. The one that means that in December it will be two years without adding a title to their trophy cabinet. The one that brought José Mourinho back to the bench as yet another twist in search of a reaction.

The Portuguese stepped onto the Santiago Bernabéu pitch again thirteen years after his tumultuous farewell , marked by divided opinions among the fans about him and by the tension of his three seasons also off the pitch. And his return, just as he himself anticipated when he described it as "not important" on the eve of the match, was not the main story.

Polite applause when his name was announced over the PA system and the club's supporters' section chanted his first and last name in the second minute of the match, without much response from the rest of the fans gathered at the Bernabéu.

With the excitement of a new project, the fans found the very same Kylian Mbappé , faithful to his appointment with goals. It slipped away from him against Espanyol and he excessively lamented his missed chances early on against Real Sociedad, but even so, he scored his first three goals of the season. The first came in the 40th minute.

In a goal that says more about the provider, Fede Valverde , than about Mbappé himself. The Uruguayan, whose end to last season was marked by his incident with Aurelien Tchouaméni and whose standing was called into question by his initial disagreements with Xabi Alonso, wore the armband for the first time as first captain and received the affection of his teammates after the goal.

Everyone went to hug Fede. More than an assist for the Uruguayan .

That said, the happiness was short-lived at Real Madrid . Four minutes. That's how long it took Real Sociedad to take advantage of their rival's defensive lapses. A ball into space for Job Ochieng , who outplayed Ibrahima Konaté , although the danger came from the other flank.

Immediate reaction: Marc Cucurella onto the pitch

Álvaro Carreras tucked in too much, misjudged it and arrived late to cover his area, leaving Luka Sucic alone for the equalizer. The mistake did not go unnoticed by Mourinho. Noted in his usual notebook and an immediate reaction. Marc Cucurella , honored after winning the World Cup with Spain, came onto the pitch after halftime.

His entrance coincided with a greater attacking presence from Real Madrid down the left flank , while Vinícius took center stage… and once again heard whistles after poor first touches and dribble attempts that came to nothing. He would have them replaced by chants in his favor minutes later. Before that, Mbappé bailed him out.

The Frenchman, after a wall pass with Bellingham , who emerged as the protagonist in the second half, finished the move on the edge of the box with a powerful shot into the back of Alex Remiro 's net. A brace for the Frenchman to calm the waters and put the match on track, one that ended up going perfectly for Mourinho.

The Portuguese asked his fans to support his players, forgetting what happened last season, and "Vini" managed it… with a goal whose credit belonged to a Bellingham who showed quality and determination to keep a move alive inside the area and lay the ball on a plate for the Brazilian to score into an empty net.

Renewed until 2032 a few weeks ago, Vinícius celebrated by kissing the Real Madrid crest and, above all, won over his own fans.

Not as much as Mbappé, also criticized at the end of last season, and who scored a hat-trick this Wednesday. The last one, in the 80th minute, from a pass by Vinícius, delicately lifting the ball over Remiro as he came out. From the initial desperation to the confidence to show off in the finish .

Mbappé hat-trick, goal and assist from Vinícius, and two assists from Bellingham . The trident that Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso and Arbeloa were unable to get the most out of, and which Mourinho is now trying to make the most of, had an effective coming-out party at the Bernabéu.

Three points for Real Madrid and none for a Real Sociedad that in the second half did not trouble Courtois .

4 - Real Madrid: Courtois; Dumfries, Konaté, Huijsen, Carreras (Cucurella, min. 46): Valverde, Bernardo Silva (Carlos Espí, min. 86); Arda Güler (Brahim Díaz, min. 78), Bellingham (Camavinga, min. 78), Vinícius (Diomande, min. 84); and Mbappé.

1 - Real Sociedad: Remiro; Aramburu (Zubeldia, min. 57), Jon Martín, Luken Beitia, Sergio Gómez; Turrientes, Yangel (Carlos Soler, min. 66), Sucic; Ochieng (Barrenetxea, min. 66), Oyarzabal (Orri Óskarsson, min. 57) and Kubo (Guedes, min. 74).

Goals: 1-0, 40th min: Mbappé. 1-1, 44th min: Sucic. 2-1, 59th min: Mbappé. 3-1, 68th min: Vinícius. 4-1, 80th min: Mbappé.

Referee: Mateo Busquets Ferrer (Balearic Committee). He cautioned Álvaro Carreras (min.10), Konaté (min.73) and Camavinga (min.93) for Real Madrid, and Yangel Herrera (min.31), Aramburu (min.46+) and Luken Beitia (min.71) for Real Sociedad.

Incidents: match corresponding to the first round of LaLiga EA Sports, postponed because both teams had players in the World Cup final, played at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium in front of 72,226 spectators. Before the match began, Marc Cucurella and Mikel Oyarzabal, world champions with Spain, were honored, and a minute of silence was observed in memory of the Real Madrid members who passed away in the period between last season and the current one.