Mbappé secures the Golden Boot in the emotional farewell to Modric and Ancelotti at the Bernabéu

Kylian Mbappé took a giant step toward winning the Golden Boot on the afternoon the Santiago Bernabéu bid farewell to Luka Modric and Carlo Ancelotti with great honors. The footballer and the coach with the most titles in Real Madrid history were greeted with standing ovations before, during, and after the match, with two giant banners in the back that read "Thank you, legend" and "Thank you, Carletto." On the pitch, Mbappé galvanized the team to beat Real Sociedad, scoring twice and beating Gyokeres, and Salah will need three more this Sunday to equal him.

The excitement of the afternoon at Chamartín gave way to a relatively comfortable match for the Whites. Imanol rotated his team, while Ancelotti made only one change in goal, giving minutes to Lunin and a rest to Courtois. Otherwise, with Bellingham suspended for yellow cards and Vinicius on the bench after recovering from ankle discomfort, everyone was present. Including Modric, captain and driving force behind Madrid's game, along with Güler.

The Turk found Mbappé twice in the opening minutes, but the Frenchman found himself facing Marrero and his own misfortune. In his own box, Sergio Gómez missed a one-on-one with Lunin in the eighth minute after a hesitation between the goalkeeper and Lucas Vázquez.

Madrid dominated possession with ease while Real Sociedad looked for counterattacks. Neither side had anything to play for, so after the initial burst, the game slowed down a bit, and individual errors in passing and controlling began to accumulate, something typical at this point in the season when people's minds are already focused on other situations.

On the half-hour mark, Sucic shot wide after a pass from Muñoz, and Marrero again saved a shot from Mbappé, the Real Madrid's most incisive player, needing to score to take first place in the Golden Boot. The Frenchman looked somewhat harried at times, but found his reward in the 38th minute when VAR alerted Melero López about a handball in the Real Madrid area. The referee went to check it, noticed the ball had hit Marín's arm after a header from Güler, and awarded a penalty.

The crowd called for Modric to take the shot, but Mbappé grabbed the ball without hesitation and fired. Marrero guessed his intention, but the forward capitalized on the rebound to make it 1-0 and surpass Gyokeres for the Golden Boot. It was his 30th La Liga goal and his 42nd in all competitions in his first year as a Real Madrid player.

After the break, it was time for some excitement. Mbappé continued searching for the goal while the Bernabéu gave a standing ovation to Lucas Vázquez, who, although the club hasn't announced it, appears to be leaving Real Madrid.

In the 82nd minute, Mbappé sealed the victory after a fine assist from Vinicius, and the match fell to Modric's lot in love. He received a three-minute reception from the crowd, teammates, and opponents alike, as his substitution was announced. Toni Kroos even came onto the pitch, surprising his friend.