Gonzalo Garcia's perfect response to playing backup to Kylian Mbappe

Gonzalo Garcia wrote his name up in lights on Sunday when he bagged a perfect hat-trick in Real Madrid's 5-1 thrashing of Real Betis. The Spanish youngster stepped up to the plate in the absence of Kylian Mbappe whom he is playing backup to.

Mbappe was sidelined for the game against Betis and there's no official word on whether he'll be fit to face Atletico Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final on Thursday (January 8). But Garcia's phenomenal performance will have allayed fears of Madrid struggling without their French talisman.

The 21-year-old's hat-trick heroics were massively important not just for the player but Xabi Alonso. He turned to Los Blancos' academy graduate and reaped the rewards.

Garcia 'understands' being back-up to 'best in the world' Mbappe

Garcia's showing against Betis fuelled talk of the Spaniard being handed more game time given he has spent most of the season on the bench. This was just his second start in 14 La Liga appearances and he only has 258 minutes worth of league football to his name.

While the Madrid-born striker couldn't have made a better start to 2026 he's well aware of needing to be patient. He spoke glowingly of Mbappe when asked about his current role in Alonso's team:

"I play very few minutes? That's true, but that's because Kylian Mbappé plays, and he's having an insane season. Practically one goal per game. He's the best in the world, so I understand that I'm his back-up."

Mbappe was in red-hot form before sustaining a knee sprain and had posted 18 goals in as many La Liga games. The 27-year-old has been chasing records and breaking them and put in stunning performances as the main man at the Bernabeu.

Garcia isn't going anywhere

Madrid's hat-trick hero has suggested he is willing to wait for his time to come to become a regular starter. It's important that Alonso handles him properly and that he isn't either thrown into the deep end too quickly or left too long to capitalise on his momentum.

But the club's stance over Garcia's future is that he is staying put and that despite exit talk he isn't going anywhere. Florentino Perez and fellow Madrid chiefs reportedly never considered a Garcia exit in January or last summer. He is 'rated highly by Alonso', per Fabrizio Romano.

It's a real boost for Alonso to have a worthy backup to Mbappe who is of the right profile and age. But if the Spaniard keeps up his form the question might turn to how does he get both of the forwards in his starting XI.