Vinicius Jr reacts as Kylian Mbappe scores his first ever hat-trick for Real Madrid during 3-0 win over Valladolid 

Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr. has reacted to Kylian Mbappe scoring his first hat-trick for Los Blancos in their 3-0 thumping of Real Valladolid on January 25. The win at Estadio José Zorrilla reaffirmed their position atop the LaLiga table with 49 points in 21 games.

Real Madrid were on the front foot from the very first moments of the game. After some near misses, Mbappe scored the game's first goal in the 30th minute. A quick one-two between him and Jude Bellingham left the former with only the goalkeeper to beat. His inch-perfect finish evaded the outstretched palms of Karl Hein and made it 1-0 for the visitors.

The second goal came in the 57th minute. Mbappe received the ball after a defense-splitting run from Rodrygo. A grounded shot from the right foot doubled Real Madrid's advantage. The final goal came in the additional time (90'+1') after Jude Bellingham was fouled inside the penalty box. Mbappe converted the subsequent spot-kick to complete his hat-trick.

After the game, Vinicius Jr. reacted to Mbappe scoring his first hat-trick for Los Merengues on Instagram. The Brazilian superstar posted a clip of Mbappe's celebration and wrote:

"3X! I like this celebration" (translated from Spanish)

In addition to the goals, Mbappe helped in the overall buildup for Los Blancos and also assisted in the defense. He won six ground duels in the match out of an attempted eight and had a passing accuracy of 85%(41/48). The 26-year-old greatly outperformed his xG of 1.21.

Kylian Mbappe has now racked up 10 goals and two assists in his last 10 club games across competitions. Overall, he has registered 21 goals and three assists in 30 games so far for Real Madrid.

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Kylian Mbappe opens up about the criticism he faced following slow start to life in Real Madrid

Kylian Mbappe - LaLiga EA Sports - Source: Getty

Kylian Mbappe has admitted that it is natural for fans and pundits to criticize him after his initial rough phase at Real Madrid. The French superstar scored just three goals from open play in his first 10 LaLiga matches, a statistic that pales in comparison to his last season's numbers with Paris Saint-Germain—45 goals and 11 assists in 49 games across competitions.

However, Kylian Mbappe suggested that his recent performances could change the narrative, saying (via MadridUniversal):

“It has been a month and a half of good moments. I try to help the team in every way I can. I have total confidence in myself, in my teammates, and in the Madrid supporters for tomorrow. I am very calm.

"When you are a player like me, with all the expectations people had of me, it is normal for them to speak badly. But for me, it is not personal. When you play well, people speak well of you; when you don’t, they speak badly. I can change the situation, and I have changed it, and I am happy to help my teammates.

“I am a player who always wants to do more for the team. When you perform badly, it impacts you. I knew that this moment could happen. In the end, it was a good moment, because after the match, my mentality changed. I can show that I have quality and that I am a player for Real Madrid.”

Real Madrid and Kylian Mbappe will travel to Stade de Roudourou on January 29 to play French side Brest in the final group stage match of the UEFA Champions League.

(The abovementioned statistics are taken from Transfermarkt, Sofascore, and Fotmob. The websites are privately owned and may change the data as per their prerogative.)