'My adaptation is over!' - Kylian Mbappe fires back at No.9 doubters as Real Madrid star continues fine form with stunning hat-trick against Real Valladolid

Mbappe scored his first-ever hat-trick in a Real Madrid shirt as he starred in the club's 3-0 win over Real Valladolid in La Liga on Saturday. The crucial win helped Los Blancos to extend their lead to four points at the top of the table over Atletico Madrid, who had earlier been held to a 1-1 draw against Villarreal.

After the brilliant performance, the France captain took a dig at the naysayers who doubted his credentials in the No.9 role at the start of the 2024-25 campaign. Mbappe has displayed red-hot form over the last month and has now scored eight goals in his last five appearances for Los Blancos.

Speaking to reporters after the match, the 25-year-old said: "I'm happy with the hat trick, but I'm more happy with the win. It was very important to win today. After Atleti's result, there was more pressure."

Last week, Vinicius Jr had said that along with Rodrygo, he will help Mbappe win the Golden Boot this season. Now Mbappe has responded to his team-mates' support as he said: "That's nice, but I could say I need to help them too. We all want the team to win. If I'm top scorer, great - I've done it a lot of times in my career - but winning the league is the most important thing for me."

The Frenchman added in a pointed message to his critics: "I said the first day here that I can play in all three positions in attack. My adaptation is over for sure. I feel good, with my movements, and my team-mates, you can see it on the pitch."

Mbappe and Real will be back in action on Wednesday as they take on Brest in their final Champions League league stage match. Carlo Ancelotti's side must win to have any hope of securing an automatic qualification spot for the knockout phase.