Kylian Mbappe brace helps ten-man Real Madrid edge Marseille

Real Madrid started brightly with Kylian Mbappe coming close to opening the scoring in the second minute with an acrobatic attempt that went just wide of the upright. 

Despite the initial pressure, the visitors then took the lead through winger Timothy Weah against the run of play following an interception from Mason Greenwood in the 22nd-minute.

However, Los Blancos responded swiftly six minutes later with a Kylian Mbappe penalty after Rodrygo had been clumsily fouled by Geoffrey Kondogbia.

The home side took more control of the match in the second half before a 71st-minute red card for substitute Dani Carvajal threatened to disrupt the home side's intensity.

In the 81st minute Madrid were handed another penalty following a hand ball in the box by Argentine defender Facundo Medina, with Mbappe converting from the spot again to score his 50th goal for the club.

"We're growing, the players feel that we can carry out what we talk about, we have very good phases in the matches," said Madrid manager Xabi Alonso.

"Perhaps we lack a bit of continuity, but we're on the right track and in three months' time we'll be much better."

The Spanish boss also explained why he decided to start Brazilian superstar Vinicius Jr on the bench for the fixture.

"We're at a very demanding point in the calendar, we need everyone. We need Vini, Rodrygo, Franco, it's important that everyone feels important."

Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi was displeased with the results and also lambasted the officials for giving Madrid a second penalty.

"I'm disappointed, we could have won," said De Zerbi.

"We have a lot of new players and it's not easy to find the right connections between them quickly. I think we could have done more, I've told my players that. Not as a criticism, because they left their skin on the field. It's because we could have won.

"The second penalty is embarrassing, it wasn't, I would have said so even if it had been in favour of my team. It's never a penalty," concluded the Italian manager.

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