Madrid returns to the top with Mbappé in charge
Despite the noise, the results speak. With a recent change of coach and a game that is not entirely convincing, Real Madrid has been able to take advantage of its opportunity. This Saturday, a double from Kylian Mbappé gave them a key 2-0 victory against Villarreal.
That puts the white team two points above Barcelona. The culés will need to win this Sunday to regain the lead. It was an important response after difficult weeks.
“Mbappé was the quickest to the ball and finished it under the goalkeeper”, describing his first goal.
The Frenchman’s numbers are brutal: 21 goals in 20 games. He is the competition’s leading scorer and, today, the decisive man. His first goal came after taking advantage of a failed clearance in the 47th minute.
Resilience makes the difference
The road has not been easy. The departure of Xabi Alonso and a painful elimination in the Cup generated discomfort. The protests by the fans at the Bernabéu were a clear signal.
But in sport, as in life, what counts is getting up. And with Álvaro Arbeloa on the bench, they have already won three in a row without conceding a single goal. Barça’s defeat in San Sebastián opened the door for them and they entered without hesitation.
Villarreal, with Pape Gueye back after his feat with Senegal, tried but couldn’t. Gerard Moreno missed a clear chance to tie. In the end, Mbappé closed the game from the spot after a foul on him.
The fight does not stop
Further down the table, things are on fire. Valencia beat Espanyol with a highly disputed penalty in the last minute. Sevilla broke their bad streak by beating Athletic.
Only four points separate eighth-placed Osasuna from seventeenth-placed Getafe. Each match is a final to escape from the low positions.
Before all the meetings of this day, an emotional minute of silence was observed for the victims of the tragic train accidents that occurred this week in Spain.
