Real Madrid defeated third-place Villarreal 2-0, overtaking rivals Barcelona and moving into first place in La Liga.
Published January 24, 2026
Kylian Mbappé scored two goals as Real Madrid won 2-0 at Villarreal, taking them to the top of La Liga.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s side are two points clear of rivals Barcelona, who host Real Oviedo on Sunday.
Recommended stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
Mbappe, La Liga’s top scorer, reached his 21st goal of the season in this competition, contributing to Saturday’s match against Villarreal, who are on the rise and moved into fourth place.
Arbeloa’s side have won three consecutive games in all competitions, and victory at Villarreal could be an important step towards a revival of the season.
After suffering a shock defeat to second-tier Albacete in the Copa del Rey in Arbeloa’s first game as manager, his Madrid side began to take shape.
The manager has made it clear how important his star players are, and no player has been more important than Mbappé this season.
It was a lively and inaccurate start at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica, with neither team able to seriously threaten, although the match was heated.
Georges Mikautadze fired a volley just wide of the target after veteran forward Gerard Moreno delivered a floated cross.
Meanwhile, Madrid midfielder Alda Güler used some careful footwork to fire a shot straight at Villarreal stopper Luis Junior, and after a quick break he sent a high shot over the goal.
Villarreal’s Juan Foyth recovered from an injury sustained in the hosts’ blow and created a chance for Pape Gueye just before the break.
The Senegalese midfielder, who won last weekend’s Africa Cup of Nations, sent his shot just wide of the target.
Vinicius, who performed well in Madrid’s 6-1 Champions League win over Monaco in midweek, came close with a fierce shot across Luis Junior’s goal.
The 25-year-old Brazilian forward had not scored in 13 La Liga games, but was involved in Mbappé’s opener two minutes into the second half.
Vinicius entered the box from the left and his low cross was blocked, but Mbappe fired home his 20th league goal of the season from close range.
Villarreal worked hard to equalize and had the upper hand in the second half, but Moreno missed their best chance by firing a few centimeters over from a good position.
In stoppage time, Mbappé was clumsily brought down by Alfonso Pedraza inside the penalty area, and the resulting penalty was viciously converted by the French forward to seal Madrid’s victory.
