Like many of the greatest football players in history, Kylian Mbappé is frequently the subject of exaggerated remarks. The French international knew that his long-awaited move to Real Madrid would put him in the public eye, with every action and game being intently watched. From a debut marked by a title and a goal in the UEFA Super Cup to the storm of disappointment in his first major matches, which included multiple offside calls against Barcelona in the league classic and crucial missed penalties in games like the stumble against Athletic at San Mamés and the resounding defeat against Liverpool at Anfield, his first half of the season in white has been an emotional rollercoaster.

His statistics have been more than respectable, despite a persistent air of discontent. Mbappé has been improving, bringing his stats up to a level that should overtake that of legendary goal scorer Cristiano Ronaldo. Mbappé has now scored 22 goals in 32 appearances in the six tournaments he has participated in, with an impressive average of 0.69 goals per game, thanks to his hat-trick against Valladolid in José Zorrilla and eight goals in his previous five games for Madrid.

These numbers remain competitive when compared to those of the Portuguese forward, who finished his first season at Chamartín as the all-time top scorer in Madrid history. Ronaldo recorded 15 goals at this point in the 2009–10 campaign, despite missing eight games because of an ankle injury and three more because of suspension. As a result, he had only participated in 18 games, but his average of 0.83 was greater than Mbappé’s at the moment.

Despite finishing without any trophies, Ronaldo’s first season at Real Madrid ended with 33 goals, a total that now appears within reach of Mbappé. Manuel Pellegrini’s team finished second in La Liga behind a dominant Barcelona under Guardiola, with 96 points in the domestic league, and lost to Olympique Lyon in the Round of 16 of the Champions League. They also suffered the infamous Alcorconazo in the Cup. As demonstrated by the most recent triumph over Valladolid, the new goal-scoring reference for Madrid also benefits from a cooperation with Jude Bellingham that is becoming more and more fruitful.

I claimed to be able to play all three attacking positions as soon as I got here, but I had to adjust. I feel fantastic, and it’s obvious that the adaptation is finished. As he held the ball after scoring his first hat-trick of his Madrid career, Mbappé reaffirmed the positive thoughts he had been expressing in the previous days: “You can see it on the pitch, everything comes naturally.” For some time now, he has been performing well. His manager, Carlo Ancelotti, was thrilled to see a player on par with Cristiano Ronaldo who is ready to leave his mark at Chamartín. “He has found his rhythm over the past couple of months, and for us, he is a valuable asset,” Ancelotti confirmed.