Real Madrid secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over Real Oviedo on Thursday night in La Liga, but the headlines were stolen by a tense moment at the Santiago Bernabeu as superstar Kylian Mbappe was met with whistles from the home crowd.
The French forward returned from a thigh injury as a second-half substitute, stepping onto the pitch amid audible discontent from Madridistas. The frustration stems from a perceived lack of commitment, with fans particularly unhappy about Mbappe's recent holiday to Sardinia while he was recovering from injury.
This match came at a difficult time for Los Blancos, who will finish a second consecutive season without a major trophy after Barcelona clinched the league title last week. Without Mbappe, Madrid fell to a crucial defeat in the Clasico at Camp Nou on Sunday, effectively handing the crown to Hansi Flick's side.
On the pitch, Gonzalo Garcia opened the scoring for second-place Madrid just before halftime, finishing neatly after Brahim Diaz fired a low pass into the box. Jude Bellingham added the second in the second half to seal a routine win against already-relegated Oviedo, though thousands of empty seats told their own story about the atmosphere at the Bernabeu.
Coach Alvaro Arbeloa, whose future at the helm remains uncertain amid reports linking Jose Mourinho with a return, started both Mbappe and Bellingham on the bench. Vinicius Junior, who also faced some whistles from the stands, had a shot blocked and fired the rebound into the side-netting.
Despite the jeers, Mbappe tried his best to smile through the moment. It's worth noting that many Real Madrid legends have faced similar treatment from the demanding Bernabeu crowd over the years, including Mbappe's idol Cristiano Ronaldo. The Frenchman has still managed an incredible 41 goals in 41 appearances across all competitions this season.
Meanwhile, club president Florentino Perez has called for elections this week, adding another layer of uncertainty to an already turbulent end to the season at the Spanish capital.