Kylian Mbappé moved to within touching distance of Cristiano Ronaldo’s calendar-year scoring record for Real Madrid after scoring twice in a dramatic 3-2 win away to third-tier Talavera de la Reina, securing progression to the Copa del Rey last 16.
The French forward’s brace, supplemented by an own goal from defender Manuel Farrando, ultimately proved decisive on a frenetic night, despite spirited resistance from the hosts through goals from Nahuel Arroyo and Gonzalo Di Renzo that kept the contest alive until the final whistle.
Mbappé entered the tie having already scored 56 goals in all competitions in 2025 and now sits just one short of Ronaldo’s club record of 59 goals in a calendar year, set in 2013. With one fixture remaining before year’s end – a LaLiga meeting with struggling Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday – the 25-year-old has a clear opportunity to surpass the Portuguese icon.
In front of 4,000 vocal supporters in Castilla-La Mancha, Real Madrid asserted early control, with Endrick, Arda Güler and Gonzalo García combining fluently around Mbappé. However, Talavera goalkeeper Jaime González produced a series of outstanding saves to keep the tie level during the opening exchanges.
With Xabi Alonso opting to rest several senior figures, including Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham and Thibaut Courtois, Madrid increasingly leaned on Mbappé for inspiration. Fran García saw a header spectacularly cleared off the line by Álvaro López in the 39th minute, before controversy followed moments later.
Referee Guillermo Cuadra awarded Madrid a penalty after ruling that Marcos Moreno had handled the ball in the area, despite protests that the contact stemmed from pressure applied by Álvaro Carreras. With VAR not in use until the last-16 stage of the competition, the decision stood, and Mbappé calmly converted from the spot in the 41st minute.
Real doubled their advantage before the break, albeit with a stroke of luck, as Mbappé’s close-range effort deflected off Farrando and into the net, sending the visitors into half-time with a 2-0 lead.
Madrid had opportunities to put the tie beyond doubt after the restart, but profligacy kept Talavera in contention. Mbappé missed a one-on-one in the 52nd minute, while González again denied him with a sharp save from distance.
The hosts capitalised on those missed chances in the 80th minute when Farrando sparked a swift counter-attack and delivered a precise low cross for Arroyo, who fired past Andriy Lunin to reduce the deficit to 2-1.
Any hopes of a famous upset were dented moments later by a costly goalkeeping error. Mbappé’s speculative effort from outside the box in the 83rd minute slipped through González’s grasp and into the net, restoring Madrid’s two-goal cushion.
Talavera refused to relent and struck again in stoppage time, Di Renzo reacting quickest after Isaiah Navarro’s shot crashed against the post. Lunin then ensured Madrid’s survival with an outstanding late save to deny Navarro from close range as the underdogs pressed for an equaliser.
Elsewhere in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday, Antoine Griezmann played a pivotal role as Atlético Madrid edged past fourth-tier Atlético Baleares 3-2. The France international opened the scoring in the 16th minute following a slick move involving Thiago Almada and Conor Gallagher, before Giacomo Raspadori headed in Nahuel Molina’s cross to double the lead.
Baleares responded through Gerardo Bonet, but Griezmann restored Atlético’s cushion in the second half from a Javi Galán delivery. A missed penalty by Jaume Tovar spared the visitors before Mouhamadou Keita converted from the spot in the 90th minute, setting up a tense finish that Atlético ultimately navigated.
