Mbappe and Vinicius shine as Real Madrid narrow the gap with Barcelona

Real Madrid rediscovered the joy of victory by defeating Deportivo Alavés 2-1, in a match where stars Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior both shone.

The three points earned help the Royal club temporarily reduce the gap with Barcelona to 6 points (Real has played one more match) in the La Liga title race, though the road ahead remains challenging.

Returning after the shock of being eliminated from the Champions League by Bayern Munich, Real Madrid entered the match under great pressure from fans at the Bernabeu. From the start, Alaves surprised by proactively attacking and creating a series of dangerous chances. Angel Perez's runs down the wing continuously unsettled the home defense, forcing goalkeeper Andriy Lunin to work hard.

In a difficult situation, Real Madrid struggled to organize attacks despite the midfield with Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold playing energetically. Only in the 32nd minute did a turning point appear when Mbappe unleashed a long-range shot from outside the penalty area. The ball deflected off a defender's foot, leaving goalkeeper Antonio Sivera helpless. It was a somewhat fortunate goal, but enough to relieve pressure for the home team.

Mbappe and Vinicius shine as Real Madrid narrow the gap with Barcelona

After the opening goal, Real Madrid played more brightly, but still lacked sharpness in decisive situations. Mbappe had more opportunities but failed to capitalize, while Éder Militão had to leave the field due to injury before halftime, raising concerns in the defense.

Entering the second half, the team of President Florentino Pérez increased pressure and quickly doubled the lead. In the 50th minute, from Federico Valverde's pass, Vinicius skillfully handled the ball and unleashed a precise shot from the edge of the penalty area, giving Sivera no chance to save. A true masterpiece, showcasing the Brazilian star's class.

With a two-goal advantage, Real Madrid controlled the game for most of the remaining time. Aurélien Tchouaméni and Brahim Díaz both had chances to increase the score but failed. However, complacency in the final minutes nearly cost the home team dearly.

In the 90+3rd minute, Toni Martínez capitalized on a chaotic situation to score, reducing the deficit to 1-2 for Alaves. The remaining minutes were insufficient for the visitors to create a surprise, but this goal partly exposed the lack of solidity in Real Madrid's defense.

Despite many issues, the victory still helped Real Madrid achieve the important goal of securing all 3 points. This result temporarily reduces their gap with Barcelona to 6 points, thereby keeping hope alive in the title race.