Real Madrid survived a late scare to secure a dramatic 3-2 win over Alaves in La Liga, maintaining their pursuit of league leaders Barcelona. Goals from Lucas Vázquez, Kylian Mbappé, and Rodrygo gave Madrid a commanding 3-0 lead by the hour mark at the Santiago Bernabeu. However, Alaves fought back with two late goals from Carlos Benavídez and Kike García, putting pressure on Madrid in the final minutes, but ultimately falling short of a comeback.
Kylian Mbappé once again proved his value to Real Madrid with a stunning performance, scoring his seventh goal since joining the club. The French star’s brilliant combination play with Jude Bellingham led to a sublime finish in the 40th minute, showcasing his technical prowess and creativity. Mbappé’s goal added to a strong attacking display that saw Real Madrid enjoy 69% possession and a pass accuracy rate of 91%, underlining their dominance.
Despite Madrid’s control, Alaves showed resilience, capitalizing on two chances late in the game to nearly snatch a point. Benavídez and García’s goals gave the visitors hope, but Real Madrid held firm to secure the win, now just one point behind Barcelona in the La Liga standings. Rodrygo and Lucas Vázquez also played crucial roles, both contributing goals to extend Madrid’s lead before Alaves’ late resurgence.
Meanwhile, in the EFL Cup, Chelsea cruised to a 5-0 victory over Barrow at Stamford Bridge. Christopher Nkunku stole the spotlight with a hat-trick, continuing Chelsea’s dominant run in the competition. The win mirrored Chelsea’s 5-0 victory over Barrow in the 1947-48 FA Cup and marked their seventh consecutive EFL Cup win against fourth-tier opposition.