With Mbappé injured, Real Madrid forward Gonzalo García impresses with a hat trick

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Gonzalo García scored his first, second and third goals in La Liga for Real Madrid on Sunday with his hat trick dominating a 5-1 rout of Real Betis.

The 21-year-old forward was making a rare start in place of the injured Kylian Mbappé, the league's top scorer, who is sidelined with a left knee sprain.

García came up through Madrid’s youth sides before debuting with its first team in November 2023. He has had steady minutes under Xabi Alonso this campaign.

“It was a dream game for him," Alonso said about García. “Playing at the (Santiago) Bernabeu (stadium), first season with the first team, and to hit a hat trick. He wanted to score here, and I’m happy for him and with how he works every day whether or not he gets the chance to play. He has an unbelievable attitude and he’s a fantastic example of what it means to be a Real Madrid academy graduate.”

García got going in the 20th minute when he headed in a free kick from Rodrygo after getting free of his marker at the far post.

He deftly controlled a pass with his chest before volleying a strike home from the edge of the area to make it 2-0 in the 50th.

After defender Raúl Asencio headed in Rodrygo's corner for a third Madrid goal shortly after, Betis striker Cucho Hernández pulled one back for the visitors in the 66th.

García got his hat trick in the 82nd with a flick of his heel to turn in a pass by Arda Guler before he was substituted to loud applause.

His replacement, Fran García, rounded off the victory in stoppage time.

“I’ve been a Madrid fan ever since I was a kid, and I’ve spent many years in the academy, so to come off to a standing ovation from these fans is a very special moment that will stay with me forever," Gonzalo García said. "I hope there are loads more goals, loads more wins to come, and a special year for all of us.”

The win kept second-placed Madrid within four points of Barcelona after the league leader won 2-0 at Espanyol on Saturday. Third-placed Villarreal trails Madrid by seven points but has played two fewer games than Madrid and Barcelona.

The win came after a two-week winter break for Spanish clubs. Prior to that break, Madrid had been struggling and pressure was building for Alonso to oversee a convincing win like the one his team delivered against Betis.

Madrid's most convincing victory in a month comes before Alonso's side heads to Saudi Arabia where it will participate in the Spanish Super Cup. It will have to beat crosstown rival Atletico Madrid in Jeddah on Thursday to face either Barcelona or Athletic Bilbao in the final on Jan. 11.

“It was an important and well-deserved win to start the year at home," Alonso said. “Getting underway like this is crucial, calmly and with positive feelings around the place ahead of the Super Cup.”

Levante upset Sevilla 3-0 on the road in the debut of new Portuguese coach Luís Castro.

With his team leading 2-0, Levante goalkeeper Mathew Ryan saved a penalty by Isaac Romero and his attempt to head in the rebound in the 90th minute before Levante scored its final goal.

Levante broke a run of eight rounds without a win and moved out of last place.

Oviedo fell to the bottom after a 1-1 draw at Alaves.

Real Sociedad made a promising start under new American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo after holding fourth-placed Atletico Madrid to a 1-1 draw.

Former Sociedad striker Alexander Sorloth put Atletico in front in the 50th, but Goncalo Guedes equalized five minutes later for the hosts.

Girona left the relegation zone with a 2-1 win at Mallorca.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Real Madrid's Gonzalo Garcia, right, celebrates with Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham after scoring his sides first goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Real Betis Sevilla in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Pablo Garcia)

Real Madrid's Gonzalo Garcia celebrates after scoring his third and his sides fourth goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Real Betis Sevilla in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Pablo Garcia)

Real Madrid's Gonzalo Garcia celebrates after scoring his third and his sides fourth goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Real Betis Sevilla in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Pablo Garcia)

Real Madrid's Gonzalo Garcia celebrates after scoring his third and his sides fourth goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Real Betis Sevilla in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Pablo Garcia)

Real Madrid's Gonzalo Garcia celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Real Betis Sevilla in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Pablo Garcia)

PHOENIX (AP) — Dawn Staley has fond memories of her first trip as a coach to the NCAA championship game. It ended with South Carolina's first national title nine years ago.

She hopes that UCLA's first time playing for an NCAA title won't end the same way for the Bruins, who face the Gamecocks on Sunday for the championship.

“It’s special. I mean, it’s special. You’re playing on the last day of college women’s basketball,” Staley said. “It’s a great honor and a great feat whether you win or lose. You also are measuring where your program can continue to go. For us, 2017, we won it. I’m hoping that’s not the same for UCLA on Sunday.”

Since winning that first title, Staley has led the Gamecocks to two more, and she's reached the title game in four of the past five seasons. A win against UCLA would tie Staley with LSU's Kim Mulkey for third most titles by a coach, trailing only Geno Auriemma and the late Pat Summitt.

Staley isn't concerned about her place in history.

“I don’t really compare myself to anybody when it comes to it,” she said. “I mean, I do what I do for our players. I do what I do for the coaches that I work with every single day. Those are the people that are in the trenches. Other people outside of us, I’ve never really compared myself to.”

UCLA's run to its first championship game started last year with a blowout loss to UConn in last year’s Final Four. The Bruins used that as motivation during their return to the national semifinals.

The Bruins' only loss this year came to Texas in November. UCLA got its revenge with a 51-44 win in the Final Four. Now the Bruins are vying for their first national championship since 1978, when women’s basketball was governed by the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women.

“We’ve been very businesslike. We were not jumping around in the locker room. We were not celebrating,” UCLA coach Cori Close said. “We have really come to this tournament very focused. We really believe that the job wasn’t done yet. We want to have a chance to compete for a national championship. We want to do that the highest of levels.”

Close said after the win over Texas that it felt like a rugby match. She hopes for a more “aesthetically pleasing game” against the Gamecocks.

“I do think we all want the same thing. The officiating, the coaches, the players, we all want the same thing,” she said. “We want to have a stylistic game that shows off the progress of the game, that continues to grow the game nationally to people who are tuning in. We just have to figure out where that gap is and how we can close it.”

South Carolina freshman Agot Makeer has had an incredible NCAA Tournament, scoring in double figures in all five games after only doing that three times in the Gamecocks' 33 previous games. Makeer is averaging 14.6 points while shooting 55.6% from the field during March Madness.

“I feel like my mindset changed. Starting in the SEC Tournament, I just started approaching games differently,” she said. “And I feel like it wasn’t just one-dimensional thinking. I just wanted to go and do whatever I can to get the team to win. So just in this tournament, I’ve just thought whatever I can do to get this team a win is what I need to do.”

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

South Carolina forward Maryam Dauda (30) celebrates after a play against UConn during the second half of a woman's NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

UCLA center Lauren Betts (51) and Texas center Kyla Oldacre (00) battle for the ball during the second half of a women's NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

UCLA forward Angela Dugalic, left, and UCLA guard Charlisse Leger-Walker (5) embrace after defeating Texas in a women's NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

South Carolina guard Tessa Johnson, right, and South Carolina guard Agot Makeer (44) celebrate after defeating UConn in a woman's NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley reacts during the first half of a woman's NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game between UConn and South Carolina at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)