Kylian Mbappe joins Cristiano Ronaldo in elite club and achieves career first

Kylian Mbappe achieved something that only three other players in Real Madrid’s history have ever done on Tuesday night.

The Frenchman reached ten goals in a Champions League campaign for the first time in his career during Real Madrid‘s 6-1 thrashing of Monaco.

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Mbappe scored the opening goal of the game against his former club after just five minutes, finishing from the edge of the box.

That was the strike that saw him join an elite club and emulate footballing icon Cristiano Ronaldo in a Real shirt.

With his tenth goal of the season in the Champions League, which came in just his sixth outing, he became just the fourth player ever to reach that number in a single campaign for the club.

Only Ronaldo, who did so an incredible seven times, Raul and Karim Benzema were previously able to hit double digits.

Mbappe then made it 11 goals in Europe just before the half-hour mark, as he struck easily from close range.

Vinicius Junior cut the ball across the penalty area and the 27-year-old was able to get their first and double his tally.

He had never managed to reach ten goals in his Champions League career before, despite coming very close.

In 2020/21, Mbappe netted eight times in ten games for Paris Saint-Germain, doing so again in 2023/24.

The World Cup winner has also scored seven in a campaign for PSG too, once hitting six for Monaco as a youngster.

His seven goals for Real in last season’s competition saw him come close, but now he’s finally got over the line.

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Mbappe’s stunning goal record

Mbappe is one of the greatest ever Champions League players, sitting as the sixth-highest scorer in history with 66 goals.

He is now nine clear of Thomas Müller in the list and has moved to within five of Raul, who scored 71 throughout his career.

When it comes to goals in the competition for Real Madrid, he already has more than club greats Gareth Bale, Luis Figo and Fernando Morientes, with 18.

Bale and Figo both departed on 16 each in the competition, while Morientes scored 17 in 59 appearances.

Ronaldo sits well clear at the top of the list of Real goalscorers on 105, but Mbappe will be eyeing a top-five place in the record books.

He is currently up to sixth in the standings, with Rodrygo next in his sights on 26 Champions League goals for the club.

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Real bounce back

Real Madrid are looking set to secure a place in the top eight of the Champions League league phase this season.

They were beaten by Manchester City in December, which made it two losses in their last three in the competition.

However, Los Blancos led 2-0 at the break against Monaco before going on to make it 4-0 quickly after half time.

Vinicius Jr’s 63rd-minute goal made it a rout, but Monaco pulled one back later through Jordan Teze’s goal.

Jude Bellingham then restored a five-goal lead to finish off an enjoyable evening for the 15-time champions.

With the win, they jumped up to second in the table and back to winning ways under new boss Alvaro Arbeloa.