Real Madrid secured a crucial 2-1 victory over relegation-threatened Alavés at the Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday, closing the gap to Barcelona to six points in the La Liga title race.
Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring in the 30th minute, his 24th La Liga goal of the season, assisted by Arda Güler. The French striker found the net with a clinical finish following a well-placed pass from the Turkish midfielder.
Six minutes into the second half, Vinícius Júnior doubled Real Madrid’s lead with a powerful strike, finding the bottom corner of the net after a perfectly timed assist from Federico Valverde. It marked his 12th goal in the league this season.
Alavés, playing in the shadow of relegation, made a last-ditch effort with a goal from Toni Martínez in the third minute of injury time, assisted by Ander Guevara, but it was too little too late.
The win allowed Real Madrid to bounce back from a two-match winless streak in the league, following their Champions League quarter-final elimination by Bayern Munich. Despite the win, the team faces a tough task ahead, with Barcelona still holding a commanding lead, and they will need a slip-up from the leaders in the final stretch of the season.
Real Madrid’s next match will be away at Real Betis on Friday, while Alavés will host Mallorca on Saturday
