Real Madrid temporarily moved to the top of LaLiga on Saturday after beating Villarreal 3-1 at home in an exciting encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The match started cautiously, with little action in the first half. Vinicius Junior and Franco Mastantuano were the liveliest players during the initial 45 minutes as Real Madrid searched for their opening goal. Despite 12 attempts, they were unable to break down a compact and defensively solid Villarreal side.
Villarreal actually had the best chance before the break when Tani Oluwaseyi raced through on goal, beating two defenders with sheer pace. However, his shot was brilliantly denied by a rushing Thibaut Courtois, keeping the scores level at 0-0 as the first half ended.
Following the break, it was a different story. Manager Xabi Alonso’s halftime talk clearly paid off as Real Madrid quickly found their scoring touch. Almost immediately, Vinicius Junior made an impact. Positioned on the left side of the box, he fired in a shot that deflected in at the near post to give Madrid the lead in the 47th minute.
Vinicius continued to push his side forward, looking to alleviate any pressure from Villarreal’s quick counterattacks. His persistence paid off again when he earned a penalty in the 69th minute. The Brazilian confidently slotted the ball low past Villarreal goalkeeper Arnau Tenas, extending Madrid’s lead to 2-0.
Despite trailing, Villarreal showed great resilience. Record signing Georges Mikautadze found space with no Madrid defenders nearby and unleashed a low, well-placed shot in the 73rd minute to halve the deficit. The Bernabeu fell silent as Villarreal’s hopes were reignited.
However, any momentum for Villarreal was quickly lost when Santiago Mourino received a second yellow card and was sent off in the 77th minute, leaving the visitors down to ten men.
Taking advantage of the extra player, Real Madrid sealed the victory when Kylian Mbappe redirected a third goal from just outside the penalty spot in the 81st minute.
With this win, Real Madrid now sit two points clear of Barcelona, who will play on Sunday, while Villarreal remain third in the LaLiga standings.
**Match Summary:**
– **Real Madrid Scorers:** Vinicius Junior (47′, 69′ pen), Kylian Mbappe (81′)
– **Villarreal Scorer:** Georges Mikautadze (73′)
– **Red Card:** Santiago Mourino (Villarreal, 77′)
Denis Doyle | Getty Images
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