Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior were on target as Real Madrid edged Alavés 2–1 on Tuesday, keeping their faint La Liga title hopes alive and maintaining pressure on leaders Barcelona.
Mbappé ended his recent league drought with a deflected strike just before the half-hour mark at the Santiago Bernabéu, his 24th of the campaign and first since early February. Vinícius then doubled Madrid’s advantage early in the second half with a powerful long-range effort that ultimately proved decisive.
Alavés refused to fold and set up a tense finish when Toni Martínez pulled one back in stoppage time, but Madrid held on for a much-needed victory.
The win snaps a two-match winless run in La Liga and lifts Madrid back to within six points of Barcelona, who face Celta Vigo on Wednesday. With only six games remaining, the margin for error is all but gone.
“We have six matches left, starting with another in three days. The objective is clear, win them all,” said coach Álvaro Arbeloa, who continues to face mounting scrutiny.
“What matters isn’t my situation, but Real Madrid’s.”
Madrid’s domestic struggles come on the back of their Champions League quarter-final exit to Bayern Munich, leaving them in danger of ending a second straight season without major silverware. Mbappé scored in both legs of that tie, but a knee injury and inconsistent league form have hampered their title push as Barcelona surged ahead.
Alavés, unbeaten in four matches and fighting relegation, started brightly. Ángel Pérez spurned a golden chance when he opted to pass with only Andriy Lunin to beat, before Martínez tested the Madrid goalkeeper soon after.
Mbappé broke the deadlock when his shot from the edge of the area took a deflection and wrong-footed Antonio Sivera. He later forced another save from the Alavés keeper, while Éder Militão rattled the crossbar before being forced off with an injury.
Martínez came close to equalising when he struck the post, with Lunin reacting sharply to deny the rebound. But Vinícius’ thunderous strike from 25 yards gave Madrid breathing room, even as Brahim Díaz was denied by a superb goal-line clearance.
Alavés continued to threaten — Víctor Parada’s diving header also struck the woodwork — and Martínez’s clever flicked finish deep into stoppage time ensured a nervy finale. The final whistle was met with audible frustration from sections of the home crowd, reflecting the unease surrounding Madrid’s faltering campaign.
Elsewhere in La Liga, Real Betis staged a comeback to beat Girona 3–2, with Rodrigo Riquelme netting the winner late on. Athletic Bilbao secured a 1–0 victory over Osasuna thanks to Gorka Guruzeta’s first-half strike, while Mallorca and Valencia shared the points in a 1–1 draw.
