In a thrilling encounter at Villarreal, Kylian Mbappé shone brightly as he netted two goals to propel Real Madrid to a 2-1 victory, extending their lead at the top of the Spanish league by three points.
Despite Juan Foyth giving Villarreal an early advantage, Mbappé was quick to respond, leveling the score in the 17th minute and then securing the lead six minutes later. This result has further consolidated his impressive goal-scoring form, bringing his La Liga tally to 20, just behind Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski. Since joining Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain last summer, Mbappé has amassed a total of 31 goals across all competitions.
Barcelona trails by three points with two games in hand, one crucial fixture being postponed against Osasuna. They are slated to visit Atletico Madrid, who sit third, four points adrift.
During the clash, Real Madrid’s coach Carlo Ancelotti opted for strategic rotations, leaving key players like Vinícius Júnior and Antonio Rudiger on the bench until later in the match. Despite the team’s recent exhaustive Champions League fixture against Atletico Madrid, the lineup showed resilience and adaptability.
“We had to dig deep after our prior match, and today we demonstrated our determination and hunger for victory,” expressed Mbappé.
Villarreal staged a formidable challenge with relentless attacks facilitated by Alex Baena and Nicolas Pepe, but Madrid’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was in fine form, making crucial saves. This stopped Villarreal from capitalizing on their opportunities, paving the way for Mbappé to exploit their defensive gaps.
“Mbappé may not have been in the spotlight throughout the match, but when it mattered, he was deadly,” noted Marcelino Toral, Villarreal’s coach.
A corner stemming from a Courtois save resulted in Villarreal’s early goal, as Foyth capitalized on a loose ball, but Madrid’s response was overwhelming.
The second half saw Madrid solidifying their defense with halftime changes, ensuring Villarreal was unable to reverse the deficit.
Amidst the victory, Real Madrid voiced grievances regarding the tight scheduling of matches without the requested additional rest. Having endured a grueling Champions League clash just days prior, the club insists on future fixtures allowing sufficient recovery time.
In another notable match, Vedat Muriqi emerged as the hero for Mallorca, overcoming initial setbacks, including an own goal and a missed penalty, to score a decisive penalty in stoppage time, leading his team to a 2-1 comeback against Espanyol. Despite Espanyol’s goalkeeper Joan García impressively saving two penalties, Muriqi redeemed himself at the final whistle.
Celta Vigo also clinched a win thanks to a late penalty converted by Marcos Alonso in a 1-0 victory over Valladolid.
