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Jose Mourinho praised 'incredible' Kylian Mbappe after the forward struck a superb hat-trick to guide Real Madrid to a 4-1 win over Real Sociedad in La Liga. The dominant victory ensured a successful return to the Bernabeu for new manager Jose Mourinho, who lauded his star attacker’s remarkable hunger and tireless work rate after a brief scare in the first half.

Mbappe stars in Madrid demolition

Real Madrid registered an emphatic 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad in Mourinho’s first home match since returning to the Bernabeu dugout. Mbappe opened his account at the Bernabeu just before half-time, but Luka Sucic responded swiftly to level matters and leave the contest finely balanced at the interval.

After some unease from the home supporters, Los Blancos came back strongly in the second half. The France superstar scored twice more to complete his treble, while Vinicius Junior also got on the scoresheet to take the game well beyond Real Sociedad’s reach.

Jude Bellingham was hugely influential in the Spanish capital, supplying two vital assists. The convincing result also maintained Mourinho’s perfect start to his second spell in charge, giving him two victories from his opening two games.

Mourinho showers praise on star attacker

Mourinho was quick to underline Mbappe’s influence during his post-match press conference. The Portuguese coach spoke admiringly about the Frenchman’s elite mentality and his historic World Cup achievements.

"This guy is incredible," Mourinho told reporters after the match. "I'm happy that he made history at the World Cup because there were 25 world champion players, but only one is for eternity in football, the player with most goals at a World Cup. He looks hungry to make history with Real Madrid."

The manager also highlighted Mbappe’s dedication away from the spotlight, pointing out that the forward ended his holiday two days early in order to rejoin the squad. He continued: "I'm very happy with him, technically there's nothing to say obviously, but in the group, he's taking responsibility, he got back two days early from his holiday."

When asked about how many goals his new talisman might score, Mourinho chose to stay grounded. "If it's 60, 40, 50? I can't say," he added. "I'd prefer 40 goals but with trophies, or 40 goals with a lot of work... Today I left him on the field for 90 minutes, I thought he might score four!"

Winning over the Bernabeu sceptics

In spite of the eventual rout, the first half was not completely comfortable. The Bernabeu crowd briefly showed their displeasure with whistles when the score was level. Mourinho, however, brushed aside any issue, insisting that demanding fans are simply part of the club’s identity.

"We know the Bernabeu, the players know it, I know it," the experienced coach said. "Thankfully they're like that, because it's a consequence of history. Real Madrid always have great teams and players, and the fans want more. They pay to have their emotions, their happiness, their frustration.

"In the end we got what we wanted, the three points, and the fans went home with a taste of what we can do. Scoring three, four, five [goals], we'll do that a lot."

The commanding display after the break effectively removed any remaining tension. Mbappe’s ruthless finishing, along with his selfless assist for Carlos Espi in the previous 2-1 away win at Espanyol, shows that he is already adapting well to life under his new manager.

Building momentum in La Liga

With six points from a possible six, Mourinho’s team have made an early statement in their push for domestic honours. The authoritative performance against a difficult Real Sociedad side underlined the strength of their attacking threat.

Los Blancos will now aim to carry this flawless start forward when they face newly-promoted Malaga on Sunday. If Mbappe continues in such prolific touch alongside an in-form Vinicius Jr and Bellingham, the top-flight newcomers will have a hugely difficult challenge trying to stop Madrid’s formidable front line.