Valverde heaps praise on Mbappé after his hat-trick.

Real Madrid made a perfect return to the Santiago Bernabéu, securing an emphatic 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad. José Mourinho’s men produced an impressive second-half performance, inspired by Kylian Mbappé, who scored a brilliant hat-trick.

Wearing the captain’s armband for Real Madrid on the night, Federico Valverde spoke after the final whistle and expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance. The Uruguayan midfielder explained what changed after half-time, highlighting the improvements made to Madrid’s pressing system. He also praised Mbappé, who has already established himself as the club’s main attacking weapon at the start of the season.

Valverde pleased with Madrid’s reaction

Real Madrid made a positive start to the match but struggled to maintain complete control during the opening 45 minutes. According to Valverde, the team needed to show more patience after taking the lead.

On the match:
“I saw a team that was very committed and showed a lot of desire. After scoring the first goal, we lacked a little patience to keep possession and manage the advantage. The conversation at half-time was very important for us, and the second half was spectacular.”

Madrid returned from the dressing room with much greater intensity. Mourinho’s players pressed Real Sociedad higher up the pitch and quickly regained possession, allowing them to dominate the remainder of the encounter.

On the half-time discussion:
“We focused a lot on the pressing. We adjusted a few things and, in the second half, we felt much more comfortable.”

🗣️ « 𝗨𝗡 𝗝𝗢𝗨𝗘𝗨𝗥 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗘 𝗠𝗕𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗘́, 𝗖’𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗔𝗖𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗜𝗥𝗘… 𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗥𝗢𝗬𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘 » 🇫🇷💫

Fede Valverde encense Kylian Mbappé :

« J’ai toujours dit qu’il faut 𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿. Ce qu’il a fait aujourd’hui, 𝗶𝗹 𝗹’𝗮 𝗱𝗲́𝗷𝗮̀ 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗲… pic.twitter.com/BYDCQhOddz

— Vibes Foot (@VibesFoot) August 26, 2026

“We have to enjoy Mbappé”

Kylian Mbappé was once again the star of the evening. The French forward scored three times and confirmed his excellent start to the new campaign.

Valverde believes Real Madrid must make the most of having a player of Mbappé’s quality and provide him with as many opportunities as possible.

On Mbappé:
“We have to enjoy Mbappé. We need to give him a thousand balls so that he can score a lot of goals, feel comfortable and be happy. What he did today is something he does throughout the year.”

Mbappé’s movement, speed and finishing caused constant problems for the Real Sociedad defence, and his hat-trick ultimately turned a competitive encounter into a comfortable victory for the Spanish giants.

A memorable night as captain

The match also had special significance for Valverde, who captained Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu with members of his family watching from the stands.

On being captain:
“It’s incredible. It’s a memorable day for me. My family was here and they were very emotional. But the most important thing was to win, and we did that.”

Finally, Valverde highlighted the excitement inside the squad about returning to their home stadium and rewarding the supporters with an impressive performance.

On returning to the Bernabéu:
“All the players were really looking forward to playing here again. We were able to give the supporters a victory, and that is what matters.”

A 4-1 win, an outstanding second-half display and another Mbappé masterclass: Real Madrid could hardly have asked for a better return to the Bernabéu.