MADRID — Kylian Mbappe scored twice, including one brilliant individual goal, as Real Madrid thrashed Sevilla 4-1 yesterday to climb to third in La Liga.

Arda Guler, who was fortunate to avoid an early red card for an elbow, netted a spectacular opener before Mbappe's double and a rocket from Yan Diomande as Jose Mourinho's side moved above Real Betis.

Mbappe's first was a sensational strike involving a roulette on the edge of Sevilla's box, while his second was a chipped Panenka penalty.

Champions Barcelona are six points ahead of Real Madrid before next weekend's Clasico at Camp Nou after thrashing Betis on Saturday, with Atletico Madrid second, sandwiched between Spain's giants.

“We played a great game... we are a team and we work to improve, we've only been together for a very short time,” Mourinho told Real Madrid TV.

“It's hard to have the calm that other coaches enjoy at other clubs, given the scale of Real Madrid, but we're making the most of every minute we have.”

Mourinho lined up with Diomande on the left in place of suspended Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior and brought Guler in as part of the midfield pivot.

Vinicius's red card for hair-pulling last weekend provoked anger in the Spanish capital over officiating in Spain.

Madrid fans at the Santiago Bernabeu chanted and held up banners against La Liga president Javier Tebas after he said the club's strategy of trying to discredit referees was similar to the techniques of Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels.

Los Blancos and their new coach Mourinho have complained bitterly about Spanish refereeing in recent weeks and, more generally, over the past two seasons, during which they have failed to win a major trophy.