Real Madrid demolish Monaco with six goals in the Champions League

Real Madrid restored their continental stature with a resounding 6–1 victory over French side Monaco, in the match held at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium as part of Matchday 7 of the UEFA Champions League.

This win came at a crucial moment for the Spanish giants this season, especially as it was acheived under the leadership of new head coach Álvaro Arbeloa, who had come under immediate pressure after taking over from Xabi Alonso. However, he successfully passed his first major continental test.

Real Madrid showed a strong attacking identity from the opening minutes, with standout performances from French star Kylian Mbappé and Brazilian Vinícius Júnior, who played a central role in steering the team back to winning ways in Europe following their painful 2–1 defeat to Manchester City in the previous round.

The Spanish side regained both mental and tactical balance, delivering one of their best performances of the season in terms of attacking efficiency and collective organization. This victory marked Arbeloa’s second win since taking charge of the team, following a 2–0 domestic win over Levante in La Liga.

The young coach’s tenure had begun under pressure after a disappointing 3–2 loss to Albacete, which resulted in Real Madrid’s elimination from the Copa del Rey round of 16 — a result that sparked anger and doubts among supporters regarding Arbeloa’s ability to lead the club through this transitional phase.

Mbappé’s first-half brace paved the way for Real Madrid’s fifth victory in the competition, before four additional goals followed in the second half, scored by Argentine Franco Mastantuono, Monaco defender Thilo Kehrer with an own goal, England international Jude Bellingham, and Vinícius Júnior, who delivered an outstanding performance, also providing two assists and earning the Man of the Match award.

With this result, Real Madrid raised their tally to 15 points, placing them temporarily third in the standings and significantly boosting their chances of securing direct qualification to the knockout stages.

Arsenal settle the clash of the round

In Milan, Arsenal continued their impressive Champions League run, securing their seventh consecutive victory and maintaining a perfect record after defeating Inter Milan 3–1 at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium.

The Gunners once again underlined their European credentials this season thanks to a balanced display between defense and attack, coupled with brutal efficiency in front of goal.

Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus scored twice in the 10th and 31st minutes, confirming his strong return to form, before Swedish striker Viktor Gyökeres added the third goal. Inter’s lone goal came through Croatian midfielder Petar Sušić in the 18th minute.

This defeat — Inter’s third against four wins — left the Italian side stuck on 12 points in eighth place, pushing them into a complicated battle in the remaining rounds.

Among the other notable results of the round, reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain continued their inconsistent form this season, suffering a 2–1 away defeat to Portugal’s Sporting Lisbon.

The Parisian club slipped to fifth place with 13 points, level with Sporting, who moved up to sixth, highlighting the fierce competition in the middle of the standings.

Tottenham Hotspur also maintained their European resurgence, climbing to fourth place after a deserved 2–0 victory over Borussia Dortmund. The German side finished the match with a numerical disadvantage, which the London club capitalized on to collect three valuable points.

Between the brilliance of the heavyweights and the stumbles of some favorites — such as Manchester City’s 3–1 defeat to Norway’s Bodø/Glimt — this round confirmed that the qualification race remains wide open, and that the identities of the teams advancing will not be decided until the final matchdays.