French superstar Kylian Mbappé scored on his return from injury, helping Real Madrid to an important 2-1 victory over Alaves.
Goals from Kylian Mbappé and Rodrygo Goes gave Real Madrid a tense 2-1 win over Alaves in La Liga, increasing the chances of Xabi Alonso continuing as manager.
Second-placed Madrid restored league leaders Barcelona’s advantage to four points, registering just their third win in their last nine games across all competitions.
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After Wednesday’s home defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League, Spanish media reported that anything short of a win would mean Alonso would lose his position.
Following Mbappe’s stunning opener on Sunday, Carlos Vicente equalized for Alaves in the second half, but Rodrygo gave the visitors a much-needed victory at the Mendisorozza Stadium.
Alonso was able to bring back key player Mbappé, who was forced to sit on the bench during the loss to City due to knee discomfort.
The manager also handed his debut to left-back Victor Valdepenas, with Alvaro Carreras and Fran García both suspended and Ferland Mendy one of several players absent due to injury.
Mbappe appeared to be hobbled by a knee injury in the first few minutes, but he was nevertheless the most influential player of the match.
The forward’s shot went wide but just wide as Alaves sat deep and tried to keep the 15-time European champions at bay.
By the time Mbappe opened the scoring in the 25th minute, his discomfort seemed to have subsided.
Jude Bellingham released the ball for Mbappé, who sprinted toward goal and curled a shot into the top right corner for his 17th league goal of the season.
England international Bellingham then fired a shot from close range, but it was ruled out as a handball as the ball hit his arm.
Needing to fight back, Alaves came forward and took control of the game before the break, almost leveling the score.
Despite having little knowledge, Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a fine save with his head to deny Pablo Ibanez from close range.
The Whites found themselves in a dangerous situation again just after the interval, with Alaves goalkeeper Antonio Sibera making good saves from Mbappe and then Vinicius Junior.
They regretted those mistakes when Vicente equalized for Alaves after 68 minutes.
The forward slipped in behind Antonio Rudiger, controlled a chipped pass from former Madrid midfielder Antonio Blanco and fired a shot past Courtois.
Eduardo Coude’s side almost took the lead when Vicente’s low cross from the right wing was sent wide by Toni Martínez, who lost his balance under pressure from Raul Asensio and fired a shot.
Instead, Madrid were back in front, with Vinicius breaking in from the left and Rodrigo crossing to score from six yards.
It was the Brazilian’s second goal in two games, having failed to find the back of the net in his previous 32 games, and Alonso celebrated wildly as his future could depend on it.
Vinicius’ appeal for a penalty was rejected and Bellingham came very close to injury time as Madrid tried in vain to end the game and ease the tension.
Third-placed Villarreal’s match against Levante was postponed due to weather warnings in the Valencia region. 19th-placed Real Oviedo sacked coach Luis Carrion after suffering a 4-0 defeat to Sevilla.
Champions Barcelona beat Osasuna 2-0 on Saturday, making it their seventh straight La Liga win and ensuring they remain top of the table until 2026, regardless of what happens in the final round before the winter break.
