ATHENS (Reuters) -Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe scored four goals, including the second fastest hat-trick in Champions League history, to earn them a 4-3 comeback victory over hosts Olympiacos on Wednesday.
Mbappe's first three goals came in a spell of six minutes and 42 seconds in the first half but it was a tough encounter for the Spaniards before they earned their firstvictory at Olympiacos on their fifth attempt, andended a three-game run across all competitions without a win.
Real moved up to fifth place in the standings on 12 points, with the top eight earning automatic qualification for the knockout stage and with three matchdays remaining.Olympiacos dropped to 33rd on two points.
"The important thing was to win, to break the cycle, to feel that feeling," said Real coach Xabi Alonso. "The three points were also important, to be in the top eight. It was competitive and hard-fought, but we needed it.
"In the Champions League, there are moments for everything, just like in the league. I really liked that at 1-0 we didn't lose our heads, we played calmly and maturely and turned it around. We are back to winning ways, and we won in Greece for the first time."
He also had special praise for his top scorer.
"Mbappe is very important, that goes without saying," Alonso said. "His goals are fundamental, but that's not all. His personality... teamwork, unity."
The visitors opened their account when Mbappe beat two defenders to slot in from Vinicius Jr's assist in the 22nd minute, cancelling out Chiquinho's goal that gave the hosts an eighth-minute lead.
He then headed in an Arda Guler cross two minutes later, and before the Greeks had time to recover from the double strike, the France forward completed his hat-trick with another fine finish.
The Spaniards were in complete control for the rest of the first half and also hit the woodwork through Aurelien Tchouameni but the hosts cut the deficit seven minutes after the restart through Mehdi Taremi's close-range header.
Mbappe looked to have restored order with a tap-in from yet another Vinicius Jr assist for his fourth goal on the hour mark butOlympiacos refused to give up.
They scored again through Ayoub El Kaabi's 81st-minute header and had Real firmly pinned in their own half as they piled on late pressure.
El Kaabi went close again as did Gabriel Strefezza but they could not find another goal.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Pritha Sarkar and Toby Davis)
