Kylian Mbappe makes history in El Clasico despite Real Madrid defeat

In one of the most dramatic El Clasico clashes in recent memory, Kylian Mbappe etched his name into Real Madrid history on Sunday, despite ending up on the losing side.

The French superstar scored a hat-trick, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Los Blancos from falling 4–3 to Barcelona in a pulsating La Liga encounter.

Mbappe’s treble took his tally to 39 goals across all competitions this season, breaking the long-standing club record for most goals in a debut campaign. The previous mark belonged to Ivan Zamorano, who scored 37 in 1992–93. 

The 26-year-old has now surpassed club legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy in that category, highlighting a meteoric individual start to life in Spain.

Yet while the numbers are historic, the context was bittersweet. Despite Mbappe’s brilliance, Real Madrid capitulated defensively. Barcelona mounted a stunning comeback from 2–0 down, scoring through Eric Garcia, Lamine Yamal and a Raphinha brace to take all three points.

The result gave Barca a commanding seven-point lead in the La Liga title race with just three matches remaining.

Adding to the sting, Mbappe became the first Real Madrid player since the Second World War to score a La Liga hat-trick and still end up on the losing side. It's a remarkable and unwanted statistic that encapsulates both his dominance and the team’s shortcomings.