Mbappe aims to break Liga Santander duck at Las Palmas – The Kampala Report

Real Madrid super star Kylian Mbappe Lottin will be targeting his first Liga Santander goals when Carlo Ancelotti’s champions travel to Las Palmas on Thursday evening. The Qatar 2022 World Cup top scorer was Ligue One’s leading net buster in each of the six seasons he spent at Paris Saint Germain but is yet to break his league duck for the Santiago Bernabeu club.

The Frenchman scored in Los Blancos’ 2-0 Uefa Super Cup victory over Europa League winners Atalanta of Bergamo but he was marked out of his Liga Santander debut in Real Madrid’s 1-1 draw at Mallorca and cut a desolate figure before being substituted at home to Real Valladolid.

Ancelotti is to find it hard to resist the temptation of rotating his front three amigos – Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes – after on Sunday he witnessed substitutes Brahim Diaz and 18-year-old Endrick score following the withdrawal of his first choice attacking trident.

There is no room for error for the Liga Santander, Uefa Champions League and Uefa Super Cup winners as they try to bridge a five point deficit on leaders Barcelona who overcame Rayo Vallecano 2-1 on Tuesday to maintain their one hundred percent winning record under new boss Hans Deiter Flick.

Summer signing Dani Olmo was Blaugrana’s hero after he came off the bench to net the winner against a determined Rayo Vallecano. The former RB Leipzig attacking midfielder was fielded hours after the Spanish FA allowed him to be registered because Barcelona found the budget for his services by releasing Ilkay Gundogan and Clement Lenglet.

Tuesday’s other action saw Sevilla hold Real Mallorca to a goalless stalemate, 24 hours after Villarreal outlasted Celta Vigo 4-3 at the Estadio de la Ceramica. Yellow Sub Marine skipper Dani Parejo converted a 100th minute spot kick to deny Celta in the division’s most pulsating game to date.

Bookmakers third favourites Atletico Madrid will be hoping to follow up on their 3-0 victory over Girona on Sunday when they welcome newcomers Espanyol to the Wanda Metropolitano tonight. Record new signing Julian Alvarez and Conor Gallagher are in line to make their full debuts as Diego Simeone targets a maximum ahead of Saturday’s daunting trip to face Athletic Bilbao at the San Mames.

RESULTS
Villarreal 4-3 Celta Vigo
Real Mallorca 0-0 Sevilla,
Rayo Vallecano 1-2 Barcelona

TODAY
Athletic Bilbao v Valencia,
Real Valladolid v Leganes,
Real Sociedad v Alaves,
Atletico Madrid v Espanyol

THURSDAY
Girona v Osasuna,
Las Palmas v Real Madrid