Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 equalled Cristiano Ronaldo\u2019s record of 59 goals in a calendar year for Real Madrid with a late penalty in his side\u2019s 2-0 home win over Sevilla in La Liga on Saturday, the French forward celebrating his 27th birthday in style.<\/p>\n
Mbapp\u00e9 missed several earlier chances before getting his chance from the spot four minutes from time and he made no mistake to net his 59th goal in as many games across all competitions in 2025 to level Ronaldo\u2019s 2013 haul.<\/p>\n
Jude Bellingham put Real in front with a header seven minutes before half-time and Sevilla<\/a> went down to 10 men with 22 minutes remaining after Marc\u00e3o received a second booking but the hosts had keeper Thibaut Courtois to thank for keeping them ahead.<\/p>\n \u201cToday, and because of the record, it\u2019s incredible, in my first year to be able to do what Cristiano did,\u201d Mbapp\u00e9 said afterwards. \u201cMy idol, the best player in the history of Real Madrid<\/a> and a reference in world football. It\u2019s an honour for me.\u201d<\/p>\n Mbapp\u00e9 marked his goal by reproducing Ronaldo\u2019s celebration, saying later: \u201cI wanted to give him a little nod because he has always been affectionate with me. Normally I have my own celebration, but I wanted to share that with him, and like I said, he\u2019s been my idol since I was a kid. I have a very good relationship with him, he\u2019s a friend now.\u201d<\/p>\n Real are second in the table on 42 points, one behind Barcelona who are away to third-placed Villarreal on Sunday, while Sevilla are ninth on 20 points.<\/p>\n Juventus kept themselves in the Serie A race with a 2-1 home win over AS Roma on Saturday, with Francisco Concei\u00e7\u00e3o and Lo\u00efs Openda netting the goals for the home side and Tommaso Baldanzi scoring for the visitors.<\/p>\n