Mbappe Sees Red, But Real Madrid Hold Firm to Keep Title Hopes Alive
So, here’s what went down in the latest La Liga clash — Real Madrid faced Deportivo Alavés in a match that had just about everything: drama, a stunning goal, a red card for none other than Kylian Mbappé, and ultimately, a crucial three points for Los Blancos.
The game kicked off with a fairly balanced rhythm, but it was Eduardo Camavinga who broke the deadlock in the 34th minute. A beautiful left-footed curler from just outside the box gave Real the lead, and things looked like they were about to take off. Just four minutes later, though, the energy shifted completely. Mbappé — yes, Mbappé — was initially shown a yellow card for a reckless challenge on Antonio Blanco. But after a quick trip to the VAR monitor, the referee upgraded it to a red. It was his first sending off since 2019 and his first in a Real Madrid shirt. Talk about unexpected.
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That left Madrid with 10 men and a full hour to defend their slim lead. And defend they did. Thibaut Courtois was massive in goal, pulling off six crucial saves and keeping the Alavés attack at bay. Despite Alavés enjoying more possession and shots on target, they couldn't find a way through. Their frustration boiled over in the 70th minute when Manu Sánchez was sent off for a dangerous foul on Vinicius Jr. — evening the numbers at 10 apiece.
Interestingly, Vinicius and Jude Bellingham started this one on the bench. Carlo Ancelotti was clearly keeping an eye on the midweek Champions League clash against Arsenal, where Madrid will try to overturn a 3-0 first-leg deficit. Both stars came on in the second half, but it was more about game management than fireworks at that point.
Real Madrid managed only one shot on target after the break, compared to Alavés’ five, but they held firm. That gritty, grinding mentality helped them secure the 1-0 win and stay within four points of league leaders Barcelona, who had earlier scraped a narrow win over Leganés.
The bigger picture? Mbappé will now miss the next La Liga match against Athletic Bilbao due to suspension — a blow, no doubt. But the real eye-catcher is the upcoming El Clásico on May 11. If things stay this close at the top, that game could decide the entire title race.
Madrid weren’t at their attacking best, but they did what champions often do — survive chaos and walk away with all three points.
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