Arbeloa Ball: Real Madrid Crush Monaco 6-1
The Alvaro Arbeloa era at Real Madrid truly ignited as his side dismantled Monaco 6-1 to move to second place in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) standings on Tuesday, 20 January.
Following a tumultuous week involving fan protests and the departure of Xabi Alonso, the victory served as a vital reconciliation between the squad and the Bernabeu.
Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring early, eventually netting twice to become the tournament’s top scorer with 11 goals. Franco Mastantuono and Jude Bellingham also found the net, while an own goal from Thilo Kehrer compounded Monaco’s misery.
Despite a consolation strike from Jordan Teze, Vinicius Junior stole the show with three assists and a stunning goal, earning him the Most Valuable Player award.
Arbeloa was quick to credit the home support for the turnaround. Addressing the media, he said: “It’s a night where the Bernabeu has shown that when it’s behind its team, Real Madrid is better.”
Regarding Vinicius Junior’s emotional performance, the manager added: “The hug he gave me was for the whole of Madridismo.”
Madrid now look to secure a top-eight finish against Benfica next Wednesday, 28 January, while Monaco must defeat Juventus to keep their UCL play-off hopes alive.
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