Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe dedicated his goal against Villarreal to teammate Brahim Diaz. He produced a Panenka penalty in stoppage time to claim a 2-0 win for his team.
Kylian Mbappe dedicates goal to Brahim Diaz
Los Blancos locked horns with Villarreal at Estadio de la Ceramica in LaLiga on Saturday, January 24. Mbappe started the scoring in the 47th minute for Real Madrid. He was then fouled in the penalty box stoppage time. The Frenchman converted a Panenka penalty to make it 2-0 for Real Madrid.
Following the game, Mbappe dedicated the goal to teammate Brahim Diaz, saying:
“My panenka penalty was for Brahim Diaz.”
Interestingly, Diaz tried a Panenka penalty while representing Morocco in the AFCON final against Senegal on January 18, but it was saved. Senegal ended up winning the game 1-0, courtesy of Papa Gueye's 94th minute goal.
Kylian Mbappe reacts on Brahim Diaz's penalty miss
Kylian Mbappe had also spoken about Diaz's miss following the final, telling reporters:
“I didn’t speak directly with Brahim. I talked with Achraf (Hakimi) and I can somewhat understand what happened. It’s a tough moment. It’s true that I’ve also experienced difficult times with the national team, anger, frustration. But you have to keep working. That’s the life of a footballer. I came to Madrid to win titles, but you also have to think about people, about feelings. Our goal is to help Brahim recover and support him.”
Brahim Diaz, notably, won the Golden Boot at the AFCON 2025-26.
Alvaro Arbeloa appreciates Real Madrid's unity after win against Villarreal
Real Madrid have managed to win their last three games in a row. It comes after their Spanish Super Cup final defeat against Barcelona and the Copa del Rey Round of 16 defeat against Albacete. Following the win against Villarreal, head coach Alvaro Arbeloa praised his team's unity after going through a tough period, saying:
"“The first thing a team needs is to know that we have to stick together. We’re going to go through some very difficult, very challenging situations. And it’s through unity that you achieve your goals. That’s what I’ve wanted to emphasise to them from day one, because we haven’t been able to work much on the pitch. For me, the most important thing is that they’re united."
"We saw it last Wednesday with that huddle together after Vini’s goal, and we saw it again today with Brahim. I’ve found a fantastic group of really great guys who truly appreciate each other, work together, and help each other out."
Real Madrid sit at the top of the LaLiga table, two points above Barcelona, who have one game in hand.