Kylian Mbappé found the back of the net, contributing to Real Madrid’s 3-0 victory over Leganes on Sunday, which brought them to within four points of Spanish league leader Barcelona. Federico Valverde and Jude Bellingham also scored during the match, closing the distance behind Barcelona, who settled for a 2-2 draw against Celta Vigo on Saturday after conceding two late goals.
Real Madrid has played one less match than Barcelona due to their game at Valencia being postponed as a result of severe flooding in October. The team is preparing to visit England on Wednesday to take on Premier League frontrunner Liverpool in the Champions League, looking to bounce back from a disappointing 3-1 defeat to AC Milan in their prior matchup.
The attacking lineup for Real Madrid proved effective against Leganes, with Vinícius Júnior positioning himself centrally and Mbappé operating more on the wings. This match marked a significant moment for Mbappé, who had gone four consecutive games without scoring for the Spanish club. “We altered their positions, allowing the team to maintain control throughout the fixture,” commented Madrid’s manager, Carlo Ancelotti.
In another match, Villarreal managed to secure a late equalizer, ending in a 2-2 draw against Osasuna, who currently sit in fifth place. Ante Budimir netted two goals within the first 20 minutes for Osasuna. However, Villarreal, fresh off three successive wins across competitions, responded with a goal from Álex Baena in the 67th minute, followed by a penalty converted by Gerard Moreno during injury time.
Osasuna, trailing Villarreal by three points, was coming off a heavy 4-0 defeat against Real Madrid prior to this match. Additionally, Sevilla marked the end of a two-match league losing streak by claiming a narrow 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano, who, after Unai López’s dismissal for a harsh foul, played the entire second half with only ten players. Djibril Sow netted Sevilla’s decisive goal in the 27th minute.
Later on Sunday, Athletic Bilbao faced off against midtable rivals Real Sociedad in the much-anticipated Basque Country derby, which added further excitement to the league’s eventful weekend.