Star forward Kylian Mbappe scored twice to bag a 2-0 win for Real Madrid against Villarreal on Saturday, January 24, propelling his side to the top of La Liga.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s side now leads rivals Barcelona by two points, with Barcelona set to host Real Oviedo on Sunday.
La Liga’s top scorer, Mbappe, reached 21 goals for the season in the competition, helping Madrid overcome a determined Villarreal side, who are currently fourth in the table.
Arbeloa’s team has won three consecutive matches across all competitions, and the victory at Villarreal could be crucial in reviving their season.
Following a shock Copa del Rey defeat to second-tier Albacete in Arbeloa’s first match in charge, his Madrid team has begun to take shape.
The coach emphasised
the importance of his star footballers, with Mbappe being crucial this season, having scored 34 times in all competitions.
“(Mbappe and Vinicius) are the best players in the world, they are players who can really unbalance teams, we try to get the ball to them as much as possible,” Arbeloa told Real Madrid TV.
“They’re two players who… I’m really happy to be in this state of form and, above all, because of the great work they are doing.
“They are really committed to the team, they are the first who are pressing… they’re giving this effort and solidarity that we need from them, so I’m very happy that their reward comes in the form of goals.”
The match at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica started lively but imprecise, with both sides struggling to create serious threats.
Georges Mikautadze narrowly missed a volley after veteran forward Gerard Moreno provided a floating cross.
At the other end, Madrid midfielder Arda Guler shot straight at Villarreal’s goalkeeper Luiz Junior after some neat footwork, before firing high over the bar at the end of a swift break.
Villarreal’s Juan Foyth limped off injured, dealing a blow to the hosts, who created a good chance for Pape Gueye just before the break.
The Senegal midfielder, a recent Africa Cup of Nations champion, narrowly missed the post with a powerful shot.
Vinicius, who shone in Madrid’s 6-1 Champions League victory over Monaco midweek, also came close with a powerful effort across Luiz Junior’s goal.
The 25-year-old Brazilian forward extended his goal drought to 13 straight La Liga games, but played a key role as Mbappe opened the scoring two minutes into the second half.
Vinicius entered the box from the left flank, and although his low cross was blocked, Mbappe was on hand to slot in his 20th league goal of the season from close range.
Villarreal had the better of the second half, working hard to equalise, but Moreno missed their best opportunity, firing inches over the bar when well-placed.
In stoppage time, Mbappe was fouled clumsily by Alfonso Pedraza in the box and cheekily chipped home the resulting penalty, sealing Madrid’s victory.
Mbappe’s teammate Brahim Diaz, who missed a similar attempted Panenka penalty for Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations final, witnessed the goal as he returned to action for his club.
“We have to be a bit more accurate in attack against these kinds of teams,” admitted Villarreal midfielder Alberto Moleiro.
The Yellow Submarine are now 10 points behind leaders Madrid, having played one match less than Arbeloa’s side.
Elsewhere, Espanyol, who are fifth, suffered a 3-2 loss to Valencia, leaving them seven points behind Villarreal.
(With AFP Inputs)
