Real Madrid climbed to the summit of the LaLiga standings after a 2-0 victory against Villarreal at Estadio de la Ceramica, condemning Marcelino’s team to consecutive league losses for the first time since March.
Match Report
César Soto Grado’s decision not to give Villarreal an early penalty shaped a scrappy start to the game, with clear-cut chances few and far between. As the half wore on, the Yellow Submarine found some joy out wide through Tajon Buchanan and Alberto Moleiro, but they failed to seriously trouble the opposition. At the other end, Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe were largely anonymous, forced into chasing second balls due to excellent man-to-man defending from the home side.
Consequently, the first effort on target only came in the 20th minute, when Arda Guler produced a fine solo run and shot that tested Luiz Junior, with his close control catching the eye on several occasions during the half.
Both sides, known for their attacking quality, largely nullified each other and were left to contest every duel. Vinicius, still without a league goal since the reverse fixture in October, sent a left-footed strike just wide late in the half, while Pape Gueye went equally close with the final attempt before the break.
Following an underwhelming first half, Los Blancos took just two minutes after the restart to break the deadlock. Mbappe reacted quickest to a loose ball in the area and finished clinically with his first touch inside the Villarreal box.
The Frenchman’s fourth goal in three matches sparked a spell of Real control, a worrying sign for Villarreal given the visitors’ perfect league record this season when scoring first.
Shortly after the hour mark, a cleverly worked free-kick between Dani Parejo and Gerard Moreno nearly brought Villarreal level, but clear chances continued to be scarce as the match entered its final stages.
Deep into stoppage time, another explosive run from Mbappé ended with Alfonso Pedraza bringing him down in the box, and the forward calmly converted a Panenka from the penalty spot.
That sealed the win and saw Villarreal slip below Atletico Madrid in the standings after a third straight defeat in all competitions.
The outcome also leaves Barcelona heading into Sunday’s clash with bottom side Real Oviedo knowing that only a win will allow them to take top spot back from Real Madrid.
