In Madrid, the clash between Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano saw Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior scoring within a quick five-minute sequence during the first half, securing a 2-1 victory on Sunday. This win allowed Real Madrid to draw level on points with Barcelona at the top of the Spanish league standings. Madrid now stands with 57 points, matching Barcelona due to their game against Osasuna being postponed following the passing of team doctor Carles Miñarro Garcia.
Before the match began, a moment of silence was observed at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in memory of the late Barcelona doctor. Despite being even on points, Barcelona retains the lead over Real Madrid due to their edge in the head-to-head record.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti expressed his satisfaction with securing three points, though he noted that the team could have increased their lead further in the first half. He stated, “We could have been up 3-0 in the first half but it ended 2-1. And in the second half we had opportunities to go up 3-1.”
Rayo Vallecano managed to find the net through Pedro Díaz during stoppage time in the first half, a consolation in their streak of four winless league games, comprising three defeats and one draw. The team is adjusting its strategy for the Champions League round of 16 clash against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, holding an aggregate lead from their 2-1 victory in the first leg. Both Mbappé and Rodrygo were substituted to bolster the team’s defense towards the match’s end.
Elsewhere in the league, Atletico Madrid stumbled as they allowed Getafe to stage a comeback with two late goals, succumbing to a 2-1 defeat. Alexander Sorloth initially put Atletico ahead with a penalty kick in the 75th minute, but following a red card for Ángel Correa due to a harsh tackle, Getafe capitalized. Mauro Arambarri’s equalizer in the 88th minute was followed by the winning goal two minutes into stoppage time. Atletico remains one point adrift of Barcelona and Real Madrid. Correa received a red card after a video review upgraded his initial yellow card, and he expressed remorse for his conduct via social media.
In other matches, Athletic Bilbao, holding the fourth spot, was held to a 1-1 home draw by Mallorca. Antonio Raíllo scored in the 56th minute for Mallorca, with Nico Williams quickly leveling for Bilbao. Meanwhile, Real Betis, in sixth place, edged out 10-man Las Palmas with a goal from Diego Llorente in the 65th minute, following Dário Essugo’s red card in the 61st.
Sevilla clinched a narrow 1-0 away victory against Real Sociedad, thanks to Chidera Ejuke’s goal early in the second half. With this result, Sociedad extended their winless streak to four matches across all contests, while Sevilla recovered from back-to-back losses.
