Kylian Mbappe scored twice with Jude Bellingham also on target as Real Madrid thrashed Monaco in Alvaro Arbeloa’s first Champions League game in charge of the Spanish side.
Arbeloa, who replaced Xabi Alonso on 12 January after Real Madrid lost to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final, saw his side run out comfortable winners to boost their chances of reaching the last 16.
The 15-time European champions only needed five minutes before they took the lead against Monaco, whose former player hurt them yet again.
Franco Mastantuono made a bright run down the right and fed captain Federico Valverde, who found Mbappe to fire a low right-footed shot into the bottom corner.
The forward began his career at Monaco, joining as a 14-year-old in 2013, but has now scored 13 times in 15 games against them for Paris St-Germain and now Real.
Mbappe is also the top scorer in this season’s Champions League and got his 11th goal when Real doubled their advantage in the 26th minute.
Before the game, he had urged the fans not to boo the Real players after recent events and disappointing displays, and they would have loved a superb team move that included a skilful flick from Eduardo Camavinga and low cross from Vinicius Jr, which resulted in a Mbappe finish.
Real Madrid added a third in the 51st minute when 18-year-old Argentina international Mastantuono finished well first time for his first Champions League goal after superb work from Vinicius Jr.
The Brazil forward created the fourth goal as well, with his low cross steered into his own goal by former West Ham defender Thilo Kehrer. Vinicius Jr, also criticised by supporters, capped a superb individual performance by blasting a fifth, with the ball going in off the underside of the crossbar.
Monaco pulled a goal back as Real lost possession when playing out from defence and Jordan Teze, who had earlier hit the crossbar, took advantage.
But England midfielder Bellingham restored his side’s five-goal lead by taking the ball around Philipp Kohn for his first goal of 2026.
The result leaves Real second in the table on 15 points from their seven Champions League games and a positive result away at Benfica on 28 January would take them into the last 16 and avoid a two-legged knockout play-off.
Arbeloa had been coaching Real Madrid’s B team before Alonso’s dismissal, but the former Liverpool and Real Madrid defender’s reign started poorly with a shock 3-2 loss to second-tier side Albacete in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey, before a 2-0 La Liga win over Levante.
Monaco are in 20th place with nine Champions League points and need to win at home against Juventus to secure a play-off place.
