Real Madrid clinch vital victory over Alaves as Mbappe receives red card

Real Madrid endured a challenging match, losing star forward Kylian Mbappe to a red card in the first half, yet managed to secure a narrow 1-0 victory over Deportivo Alavés at the Estadio Mendizorrotza. This win ended a frustrating streak of three games without a victory across all competitions and kept their LaLiga title hopes alive.

The hosts, sitting in 17th place, made a confident start, aiming to exploit Real’s poor away form, which had seen them claim just one win in their previous four away fixtures. However, they struggled to carve out any significant scoring chances.

As the match progressed, Los Blancos started to find their rhythm. Rodrygo danced his way into the penalty area before forcing a save from Jesus Owono, with the subsequent corner kick being met by Raul Asencio.

Unfortunately for Asencio, his pursuit of a first senior goal was thwarted by Antonio Rudiger, who was penalised for a foul on the goalkeeper.

Despite this setback, Alavés pressed forward but lacked composure in front of goal. Kike García squandered a golden opportunity when he had time to shoot within the box but sent his effort skyward.

In the 34th minute, the tide turned when Eduardo Camavinga linked up beautifully with Arda Guuler in midfield. Camavinga then unleashed a stunning curling shot from over 20 yards, finding the net and giving Madrid the lead.

However, Madrid’s joy was short-lived, as just five minutes later, Kylian Mbappé received a straight red card after a reckless tackle on Antonio Blanco, following a VAR review.

With a man advantage, Coudet’s men kicked off the second half brightly. García misfired with a header, and both Carlos Vicente and substitute Toni Martínez were stifled by routine saves from Thibaut Courtois, but Real Madrid’s lead appeared stable as the match approached its final stages.

Another twist unfolded in the 70th minute when Alaves saw their own advantage vanish. Vinicius Junior pursued a ball over the top but was caught awkwardly by Manu Sanchez, leading to his dismissal via VAR intervention.

This did little to ignite Carlo Ancelotti’s side, who looked unlikely to add a second goal. It wasn’t until the 89th minute, when Jude Bellingham forced a fine save from Owono, that they really tested the keeper again. Nevertheless, Los Blancos had done enough to maintain their ground in the title race, preventing any significant loss to league leaders Barcelona.

As for Alavés, they can take heart from a spirited performance, managing only their second defeat in six LaLiga matches, thus keeping their survival hopes firmly in their own hands.

Check out the match stats here.