Kylian Mbappe found the net for the fourth consecutive match as Real Madrid edged past Alaves 3-2 in La Liga on Tuesday. This victory allowed Madrid, currently in second place, to close the gap on Barcelona to just one point ahead of Barcelona’s match against Getafe on Wednesday.
Real Madrid showcased a strong performance, with goals from Lucas Vazquez, Mbappe, and Rodrygo before Alaves mounted a late challenge, scoring twice in quick succession. Carlos Protesoni and Kike Garcia both found the back of the net in the final minutes, but Madrid managed to secure the win.
“This is football; you can think the game has finished, (then there’s) a small slip and they score the first, they get confidence and you lose it, this is what happens,” said Carlo Ancelotti in his post-match comments. “Obviously we don’t want this to happen, but it can. We have to highlight that for an hour the team played well, and that gives us confidence.”
From the outset, Real Madrid dominated the game, despite Alaves’ solid start to the season. Ancelotti made some changes to the lineup, bringing Vinicius Junior back and giving Vazquez a rare start. Their combination paid off quickly as Vazquez scored just inside the first minute.
Ancelotti had expressed a desire for greater intensity at the beginning of matches, noting that Madrid had only scored one first-half goal across La Liga and the Champions League this season. His players responded well, maintaining pressure on Alaves, who struggled to penetrate Thibaut Courtois’ penalty area.
Madrid’s second goal arrived just before halftime, with Mbappe linking up with Jude Bellingham. The France captain delivered a clever flicked pass that allowed Bellingham to return the favor, enabling Mbappe to evade his marker and finish clinically, marking his fifth league goal of the season.
Rodrygo added to the tally shortly after the break, slipping through Alaves goalkeeper Antonio Sivera’s legs to score. Alaves managed to create some chances, with teenage striker Endrick hitting the post and Abde Rebbach also striking the woodwork.
Endrick, 18, nearly faced expulsion after a controversial incident where he kicked out at Alaves defender Santiago Mourino. Mbappe was substituted in the 80th minute, appearing to have discomfort in his thigh. “He’s fine, he’s fine, a little overloaded, he asked me for the change to avoid problems,” Ancelotti explained.
Alaves struck back with a goal from Protesoni in the 85th minute, curling a shot in from the edge of the box. Protesoni then set up Kike Garcia with a precise ball over the top, leading to another goal in quick succession.
Real Madrid held on to secure their victory, marking their 39th consecutive league game unbeaten and celebrating Ancelotti’s 300th match in charge of the club across two spells. This victory sets them up for a crucial derby clash against Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano stadium on Sunday, the site of their last defeat in the league a year ago.
“I’m happy for the win,” Vazquez told Real Madrid TV. “I think we had a great game until the 80th minute, when two mistakes cost us two goals against us, and we had to suffer more than we should have. With the game that we played, we didn’t deserve that ending.”
Tensions flared at the end of the match as Ancelotti confronted the referee, expressing his displeasure over some of his players receiving bookings while Alaves’ aggressive play went largely unpunished. “Fair or unfair, we have to adapt to the new rules,” a calmer Ancelotti later stated, addressing the yellow cards shown to his players for protesting.
Alaves coach Luis Garcia Plaza also expressed frustration post-match, particularly regarding the incident involving Endrick. “The Endrick incident should have been a red card; we should have played the last 10 minutes with an extra player. It’s red, there’s nothing more to it; I won’t speak more about this topic.”
Atletico Madrid will face Celta Vigo on Thursday among other fixtures in La Liga.
