Real Madrid produced a statement performance in Alvaro Arbeloa's first Champions League game in charge, thrashing Monaco 6-1 at the Bernabeu thanks to a Kylian Mbappe double, a dazzling display from Vinicius Junior, and goals from Franco Mastantuono and Jude Bellingham.
Coming nine days after Xabi Alonso's sacking, six after a Copa del Rey elimination by second-tier Albacete and three after a generation of protests at the stadium, the night carried as much emotional weight as it did sporting significance. By the end, the white hankies and whistles had been replaced by songs and support.
An Early Statement from the Old Boy
Real Madrid needed just five minutes to take the lead. Franco Mastantuono burst down the right and fed captain Federico Valverde, who teed up Mbappe to sweep a low right-footed finish into the bottom corner. The forward, who joined Monaco as a 14-year-old in 2013, has now scored 13 times in 15 games against his old club for Paris St-Germain and Real.