Kylian Mbappé’s replacement Gonzalo García joins Real Madrid’s elite goalscoring club after hat trick vs. Real Betis
Kylian Mbappé’s recent injury forced head coach Xabi Alonso to look for alternatives ahead of a demanding stretch of matches, and he found one in Gonzalo García, who delivered a starring performance on Sunday. With his hat trick against Real Betis, the Spanish striker earned his place among an elite goalscoring group at Real Madrid.
With Real Madrid set to host Betis in La Liga, Mbappé became a notable absence after suffering a knee sprain in training earlier this week. Searching for solutions within the squad, Alonso turned to García to replace the French star, pairing the youngster up front alongside Vinícius Júnior.
The 21-year-old opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a header, doubled the lead in the 50th with a powerful right-footed volley, and completed his hat trick with a clever backheel finish in the 82nd minute. The standout display in the 5-1 win at the Santiago Bernabéu placed García in a highly select group of Real Madrid players.
With his goals against Betis, Gonzalo García became only the second player in the 21st century to score a hat trick in his first La Liga appearance as a goalscorer for Real Madrid. The only other player to accomplish the feat was Ruud van Nistelrooy, who did so in September 2006 against Levante in his second league match.
He also completed what is known as a “perfect hat trick,” scoring with his head, left foot, and right foot. The last Real Madrid player to achieve that feat in any competition was Rodrygo against Galatasaray in the Champions League, while the most recent example in La Liga came from Cristiano Ronaldo against Real Sociedad in 2018.
Garcia’s return to Alonso’s plans
With Mbappé producing 29 goals for Real Madrid this season, alarms were raised when the club lost its leading scorer to an injury expected to sideline him for up to three weeks. With the Spanish Super Cup approaching, questions quickly emerged over who would step into the void left by the French superstar.
In Real Madrid’s latest match, Alonso opted to start García as the central striker, marking his fourth start of the 2025-26 season and his second in La Liga. The decision paid off in emphatic fashion, as Los Blancos cruised past Betis and closed the gap on league leaders FC Barcelona.
After finishing as the top scorer at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, García saw his role reduced amid speculation about a possible departure. However, with Real Madrid set to face Atlético Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup semifinals on Thursday, January 8, and Mbappé still sidelined, the in-form striker has positioned himself as the primary attacking option once again.