Real Madrid vs Monaco: Los Blancos thrash Monaco to move behind Arsenal in UCL log

Real Madrid turned on the style in their Champions League clash against Monaco, thrashing the French side 6-1 to strengthen their hold on a top-eight spot.

Alvaro Arbeloa's Real Madrid stint might have begun with a Copa del Rey exit, but their luck has turned for the better since. They have reduced the deficit in LALIGA to one point, and are now close to clinching qualification for the UCL knockout following the victory against Monaco.

The hosts raced into a two-goal lead inside the opening 30 minutes thanks to a brace from Kylian Mbappé, and from there Madrid never looked back. A second-half blitz, featuring goals from Franco Mastantuono, an own goal by Monaco’s Thilo Kehrer, Vinícius Júnior, and Jude Bellingham, put the contest beyond reach, with Jordan Teze netting a consolation for the visitors.

Real Madrid set the tone early and didn’t let up. Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring in the 5th minute with a smart finish after neat build-up play, giving the hosts an early edge and silencing any initial Monaco confidence. Mbappé struck again in the 26th minute, doubling Madrid’s advantage with a right-footed drive that found the corner following quick interplay and pressure high up the pitch. 

The home side poured forward after the break, turning the contest into a rout. In the 51st minute, Franco Mastantuono added Madrid’s third with a composed finish. Shortly after, in the 55th minute, Monaco were undone by an own goal from Thilo Kehrer, who diverted a cross past his own keeper under intense pressure. 

In the 63rd minute, Vinícius unleashed a textbook right-footed strike from the centre of the box to make it 5–1, before Jude Bellingham rounded out the scoring in the 80th minute with a confident finish that underlined Madrid’s dominance. 

Monaco struggled to assert any prolonged spell of control against a high-pressing Madrid side but did manage a moment of fortune in the 72nd minute when Jordan Teze capitalised on a loose moment to pull one back, slotting home from close range and offering a brief glimmer of hope.