Kylian Mbappe was sent off for the first time in his Real Madrid career, but his side held firm to secure a gritty 1-0 victory over Alaves, keeping them within four points of La Liga leaders Barcelona.

Mbappe was initially booked for a reckless late challenge on Antonio Blanco, catching him high on the shin. However, after a VAR review, referee Cesar Soto Grado upgraded the yellow to a straight red card following a second look on the pitchside monitor.

The dismissal came just four minutes after Eduardo Camavinga fired Real into the lead with a sublime curling effort from the edge of the box.

Despite being a man down, Los Blancos defended resolutely, with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois producing a string of key saves—six in total—to deny the hosts. Alaves were later reduced to 10 men themselves when Manu Sanchez caught Vinicius Jr with a high tackle in the 70th minute.

Vinicius and Jude Bellingham were rested from the starting XI, likely in preparation for Real Madrid’s crucial midweek Champions League clash against Arsenal, where they aim to overturn a 3-0 first-leg deficit. Both stars were brought on in the second half as Carlo Ancelotti sought to secure the result.

Although Real struggled to assert dominance, registering just one shot on target after the break compared to Alaves’ five, Camavinga’s first-half strike proved enough.

The result keeps Madrid in striking distance of Barcelona, who edged Leganes 1-0 on Saturday. Mbappe will miss Real’s next league match against Athletic Bilbao due to suspension.

All eyes now turn to El Clásico on 11 May at Camp Nou—a showdown that could ultimately decide the fate of the La Liga title.

Source: BBC

BDST: 1045 HRS, APR 14, 2025
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