Spanish champions Real Madrid overcame a late scare in their seventh La Liga match against Deportivo Alaves at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Tuesday night, September 24. The All-Whites had their fans sweating as they conceded two goals in quick succession in the final minutes of the game. Alaves tried their best to equalise but ultimately failed to do so, losing 3-2. The win was crucial for Madrid, who reduced the gap to La Liga leaders Barcelona to one point but have one more game to play.
Real Madrid took control in the first half
Real Madrid enjoyed a hot start to the game on Tuesday. Ballon d’Or frontrunner Vinicius Junior deftly controlled a float from deep, raced to the byline and then played the ball back to Lucas Vazquez in the box. The captain’s right-back sent the ball into the back of the net with a cool left-footed finish. In the 23rd minute, Jude Bellingham passed the ball to Vinicius Junior, who tipped Mbappe into the net. The Frenchman rattled the net with a confident finish. But, to the dismay of the Bernabeu faithful, the linesman raised his offside flag.
Mbappe found the back of the net again in the 40th minute, and this time the goal stood. The former Paris Saint-Germain striker played the ball to Bellingham with his ankle, received the return in the box, and finally dropped his shoulder to beat a Deportivo defender and roll the ball past the goalkeeper. Los Blancos went into the break 2-0 up, and it looked like the game was over for Alaves.
Deportivo Alaves give Madrid a proper scare in the second half
Real Madrid started the second 45 with a bang, going 3-0 up inside the opening three minutes. Rodrigo, who latched onto a Vazquez lay-off on the right flank, ran past the goalkeeper from a tight angle. With a healthy lead, Los Blancos took their foot off the pedal, allowing Alaves to get back into the game.
In the 77th minute, Alaves came close to scoring their first goal when Abderrahman Lebach’s well-taken curler hit the outside of the Madrid goal. Eight minutes later, Alaves were back on target thanks to a superb effort from outside the box by Carlos Protesoni. Protesoni then turned into the provider in the following minute, sending a superb long ball into the box for Kike Garcia. The substitute then did the rest with a stunning finish from a tight angle. Carlo Ancelotti had instructed his players to defend diligently during the final stretch of the game, and they found a way to prevent Alaves from equalising.
Real Madrid will build on this win as they travel to the Civitas Metropolitano Stadium on September 30, 2024 to face rivals Atlético Madrid in the much-anticipated El Derby Madrileno.
