Kylian Mbappé etched his name into LaLiga history by becoming the first player this season to reach 21 league goals, leading Real Madrid to a composed 2–0 victory over Villarreal and lifting Carlo Ancelotti’s side to the top of the table.
The French forward’s landmark strike proved decisive at the Estadio de la Cerámica, where Madrid had to show patience before asserting their superiority.
The opening exchanges were tense and scrappy, shaped by Villarreal’s aggressive man-to-man defending and a controversial early moment when referee César Soto Grado waved away appeals for a home penalty. That decision set the tone for a first half low on clear chances and high on physical battles.
Villarreal sought joy down the flanks through Tajon Buchanan and Alberto Moleiro, but their promising build-up rarely translated into genuine danger. At the other end, Vinícius Júnior and Mbappé found space hard to come by, often reduced to chasing second balls as the Yellow Submarine held their shape impressively.
The game’s first effort on target arrived only in the 20th minute, when Arda Güler produced a sharp solo run and forced Luiz Júnior into action. The Turkish youngster’s creativity briefly lifted the tempo, yet clear-cut openings remained scarce. Vinícius went closest before the break with a curling left-footed strike that drifted narrowly wide, while Pape Gueye responded with a similar effort at the other end.
Real Madrid returned from the interval with renewed purpose and needed just two minutes to break the deadlock. A loose ball in the penalty area fell kindly for Mbappé, who reacted quickest and swept home with his first touch inside the Villarreal box.
With the visitors now in control, Villarreal struggled to find a response. A cleverly worked free-kick involving Dani Parejo and Gerard Moreno threatened briefly after the hour, but Thibaut Courtois remained largely untroubled.
Mbappé sealed the result in stoppage time, bursting clear before being felled by Alfonso Pedraza. He calmly converted the resulting penalty with a delicate Panenka to underline a dominant individual display. That goal, his fourth in three league outings, took him to 21 for the season and shifted momentum firmly in Madrid’s favour.
The defeat condemned Villarreal to consecutive league losses for the first time since March and saw them slip below Atlético Madrid. For Real Madrid, the win applies pressure elsewhere, with Barcelona now knowing victory is required in their next outing against Real Oviedo to reclaim top spot.
