Mbappé scores twice and Mastantuono gets his 1st goal with Real Madrid in 4-1 win over Levante
Mbappé scores twice and Mastantuono gets his 1st goal with Real Madrid in 4-1 win over Levante
MADRID (AP) — Kylian Mbappé scored twice in three minutes and teenager Franco Mastantuono made his scoring debut with Real Madrid in a 4-1 win at Levante in the Spanish league on Tuesday, a result that extended the club’s winning start to the season.
Vinícius Júnior also scored for Madrid as it earned its sixth straight league victory this season.
“We played a very complete game,” Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said. “We need to keep this momentum. This is just the beginning and we want to keep competing well.”
Mbappé scored Madrid’s third goal by converting a 64th-minute penalty kick — Panenka style — after he was fouled inside the area.
The France international added the fourth in the 66th after getting past the goalkeeper and finding the open net. The goals were Mbappé’s eighth and ninth in seven matches with Madrid this season. He also scored twice in two matches with France’s national team.
The 18-year-old Mastantuono, signed from River Plate in the summer, scored in the 38th with a shot from inside the area into the top corner. The Argentina forward made his fifth start for Madrid.
“I was waiting for this goal,” he said. “It helps me gain even more confidence within the squad.”
Vinícius Júnior, who had complained about being substituted by Alonso in the team’s previous match, had put Madrid ahead with a neat strike into the far corner in the 28th. The Brazil forward hadn’t scored in his last three matches.
“He had a decisive performance,” Alonso said of Vinícius Júnior.
Levante pulled closer with a header from close range by Etta Eyong in the 54th in what was the team’s first attempt on target.
Madrid is the only team to have won all of its six league matches this season. It also won its Champions league opener against Marseille.
The latest victory increased Madrid’s lead to five points over defending champion Barcelona, which visits promoted Oviedo on Thursday. Madrid next visits Atletico Madrid in the city derby.
Levante, also promoted to the top division this season, was winless in its first four matches but was coming off a 4-0 victory at Girona in the previous round.
Madrid and Levante wore jerseys printed with their names in the Fingerspelling alphabet to celebrate the International Day of Sign Languages.
Winless streaks extended
Athletic Bilbao and Girona couldn’t manage more than a 1-1 draw to extend their winless streaks.
Mikel Jauregizar scored a 48th-minute equalizer for Athletic after Azzedine Ounahi had opened the scoring in the ninth minute for Girona, which is yet to win in six matches this season.
The Catalan club lost four straight to start its campaign, then drew two of its last three games. It has been outscored 16-3 so far.
Athletic started with three straight victories but then lost three in a row coming into the home match against Girona. One of the losses was against Arsenal in the league phase of the Champions League.
Valencia concedes late
Valencia was on its way to its third win in four league matches when it conceded a goal late in stoppage time in a 2-2 draw at Espanyol.
Javi Puado scored six minutes into added time for Espanyol.
Leandro Cabrera had scored the other goal for the hosts in the 59th, while Valencia got on the board with Arnaut Danjuma in the 15th and Hugo Duro in the 62nd.
Valencia was coming off a 2-0 win against Athletic at home. Espanyol had won three of its first four matches but lost 2-0 at Real Madrid in its previous match.
Third-place Villarreal won 2-1 at Sevilla for its second victory in a row. Manor Solomon scored Villarreal’s winner in the 86th.
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By TALES AZZONI
AP Sports Writer
