• Mbappé “Super Hat-Trick” breaks Greek resistance

Spanish club Real Madrid secured a thrilling 4-3 victory over Greek hosts Olympiacos on Wednesday evening at Karaiskakis Stadium, in the fifth round of the UEFA Champions League group stage.

This hard-fought win not only guaranteed Real Madrid’s direct qualification to the Round of 16 but also ended a historical curse that had plagued the Spanish giants in Athens.

French star Kylian Mbappé starred decisively, scoring all four of the team’s goals (22’, 24’, 29’, 59’), achieving the fastest hat-trick in the club’s history and reinforcing his position among the top scorers.

The match featured dramatic twists:

• Early Greek lead (8’): Olympiacos stunned goalkeeper Andriy Lunin with a powerful strike from Sekinio Andrei, taking a 1-0 lead.

• Thunderous reply (22’-29’): With a magical assist from Vinícius Júnior, Mbappé equalized in the 22nd minute and added two more goals within seven minutes, completing a historic hat-trick (3-1).

• Second-half drama: Olympiacos reduced the deficit with Mehdi Taremi’s header (52’), but Mbappé quickly responded with a fourth goal after a brilliant individual effort from Vinícius (59’).

• Kaabi scores: Ayoub Kaabi netted Olympiacos’ third goal (81’) with a strong header, finalizing the score at 4-3.

Ending the Athens Curse and Bellingham’s Absence

With this victory, Real Madrid reached 12 points, securing direct qualification.

The win also ended their historical struggle in Athens, where seven previous official matches against Panathinaikos, AEK, and Olympiacos had resulted in five draws and two defeats.

Real Madrid’s lineup featured notable absences: English star Jude Bellingham remained on the bench due to a calf strain, while Brazilian Rodrygo Goes and Moroccan Brahim Díaz were also substitutes.

Ukrainian Andriy Lunin started in goal due to the absence of Thibaut Courtois with an injury.