Mbappe and Vinicius Junior fire Real Madrid past Alaves

Real Madrid edged past Deportivo Alavés 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu in a tense La Liga encounter that briefly reignited their title pursuit and piled further pressure on leaders Barcelona.

The victory trimmed the gap at the top to six points, but it came in a performance that again exposed Madrid’s inconsistency in a season drifting towards frustration rather than dominance. For Alavés, the defeat leaves them hovering dangerously close to the relegation zone after another spirited but ultimately unrewarded display.

Early warning signs before Mbappe breakthrough

The visitors could have stunned the Bernabéu early on when Álvaro Carreras hesitated in possession, allowing an opportunity to open up. Álex Pérez surged forward and found himself with options, but his decision to square rather than shoot allowed Madrid to recover and clear the danger.

From that moment, Alvaro Arbeloa’s side controlled possession without truly asserting themselves in the final third. Their lack of incision mirrored recent struggles, yet they still found a breakthrough midway through the first half.

Kylian Mbappé produced the decisive moment. The French forward turned sharply outside the box and unleashed a low strike that took a deflection off Jonny Otto, wrong-footing goalkeeper Antonio Sivera and sneaking inside the near post to give Madrid the lead.

There was still vulnerability at the back. Éder Militão came close to doubling the advantage when he met a cross from Jude Bellingham, only to see his looping effort rebound off the crossbar. Alavés responded in kind, with Toni Martínez also striking the woodwork just before the interval, leaving the contest finely balanced at half-time.

Vinicius Junior seals control before late drama

Madrid emerged from the break with greater intensity and quickly extended their advantage. Federico Valverde drove forward with purpose before releasing Vinícius Júnior, who stunned the defence with a precise long-range finish that nestled into the bottom corner beyond Sivera’s reach.

With momentum firmly on their side, Madrid pushed for a third. Brahim Díaz came close with a curling attempt that looked destined for the net until Nahuel Tenaglia cleared it off the line, preserving Alavés’ slim hopes.

The visitors refused to fade quietly. Martínez became increasingly influential, forcing Andriy Lunin into a sharp save before later crashing a header against the post as Alavés chased a late response.

Their persistence was eventually rewarded in stoppage time when Martínez improvised brilliantly, flicking Ander Guevara’s shot past Lunin to reduce the deficit. However, the equaliser arrived too late to alter the outcome and merely denied Madrid a rare clean sheet in a season marked by defensive lapses.

Title race tension and survival fight intensifies

For Madrid, the win snapped a brief winless run and restored some momentum, yet the broader picture remains uncertain with Barcelona still in control of the championship race and several fixtures left to play, including another El Clásico that could prove decisive.