Tom Ewart Smith
KYLIAN Mbappe sent a warning sign on Saturday to Real Madrid’s opponents and his doubters.
After a seemingly slow start to his La Liga career, Mbappe has begun to show worrying signs for other teams.
He demonstrated his menacing quality this weekend as he fired three past Real Valladolid to give Madrid a 3-0 win.
He now sits second in La Liga goals this season, on 15, just behind Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski (16).
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid were unable to remain one point behind their city rivals, as they drew 1-1 against Villarreal.
If it wasn’t for Atletico’s weekend result and their previous loss against Leganes, Diego Simeone’s side would sit first in the standings.
Instead, the inevitable Real Madrid have taken the reins of a campaign in which Barcelona and Atletico seem to be faltering.
On Sunday, Barcelona bounced back from their recent abysmal run of results, with a 7-1 thrashing of Valencia.
However, they still remain seven points adrift from the top.
At the other end of the table, Barcelona’s merciless display leaves Valencia stranded in the relegation zone.
It certainly does not help their goal difference, which may prove crucial come the end of the season.
At least for Valencian fans, their relegation rivals, Real Valladolid, remain at the bottom of the table by one point, thanks to Mbappe’s excellence.
