Weekend Highlights: Mbappes Vital Role for Real Madrid; Simons Faces Red for Spurs

Highlight: Dzenan Pejcinovic

The Wolfsburg player took the lead three times in the match, yet each time the opponents managed to level the score, ultimately turning the tide just before the game concluded. This was a significant disappointment for the Wolves and particularly for Dzenan Pejcinovic, who accomplished a hat-trick in the match.

His second goal stemmed from a blunder by goalkeeper Noah Atubolu, who mishandled a pass from the defense, gifting the ball to Pejcinovic. The forward eagerly accepted this unexpected opportunity.

In addition to his impressive performance, Pejcinovic reached a notable achievement. At 20 years and 308 days, he became the youngest player to score a hat-trick since 2010, a record previously set by Thomas Müller at 20 years and 230 days.

Highlight: Arthur Okonkwo

Continuing the theme of goalkeeper errors, while Atubolu’s mistake was not particularly damaging, Okonkwo faced a harsher fate. Wrexham gained an advantage early in the match through an own goal from Cameron Burgess. However, Swansea equalized in the 70th minute with a goal from Zan Vipotnik, setting the stage for late drama.

As more than 20,000 fans at Swansea’s stadium feared a draw, a seemingly inconsequential set piece arose. A long ball entered the box, and Okonkwo, attempting to clear it, failed to do so appropriately. The follow-up save after Burgess’s header should have been straightforward, but a slip led to a heartbreaking defeat for Swansea, sealing a 2-1 loss to Wrexham.

Highlight: Kylian Mbappe

On his 27th birthday, Kylian Mbappe treated himself to a celebration by scoring from the penalty spot in Real Madrid’s 2-0 victory over Sevilla, marking his 59th goal of the calendar year. This achievement ties him with Cristiano Ronaldo’s club record from 2013. This season, he has netted 29 goals across all competitions in just 24 matches.

Mbappe has also established himself as the top scorer in LaLiga with 18 goals this season. After a slow start following his transfer, he has rapidly become a reliable scorer. In total, he has contributed 73 goals in 83 games for Real Madrid, in contrast to Ronaldo’s impressive tally of 450 goals in 438 matches.

Highlight: Xavi Simons

The much-anticipated match against Liverpool ended prematurely for the young midfielder, who received a red card in the 33rd minute. While pressuring the defense, he accidentally stepped on Virgil van Dijk’s foot, leading to the dismissal after a VAR review confirmed the foul.

This incident resulted in Tottenham’s challenging 2-1 defeat against the Reds. Moreover, Simons’s teammate Cristian Romero was also sent off late in the game. Before this, Simons had not seen a red card since December of the previous year. Uniquely, this marks the first instance in the Premier League since April 2001 where a Dutch player was sent off for fouling a fellow countryman.

Highlight: Harry Kane

It seems hardly surprising anymore when Harry Kane sets another record on a weekend. The English striker, now playing for Bayern Munich, contributed to the team’s 4-0 thrashing of Heidenheim, scoring in the second minute of stoppage time.

Kane has accumulated 19 goals this season and faces little competition in the Bundesliga. He has made history by contributing to 100 goals in the top division of German football—81 goals and 19 assists in just 78 appearances, achieving this milestone faster than any prior player. In 2025, he has been part of 60 goals altogether.

Highlight: Ayoub El Kaabi

The African Cup of Nations has officially commenced, with Morocco hosting and securing a 2-0 victory over Comoros. They lived up to expectations as favorites, but it was El Kaabi’s second goal that was truly remarkable. In the 73rd minute, he executed a flawless bicycle kick off a cross from Anass Salah-Eddine, resulting in one of the most spectacular goals of the tournament.