Kylian Mbappé scored a crucial goal to help Real Madrid secure a 3-0 victory over Leganes on Sunday, narrowing the gap to Spanish league leaders Barcelona to just four points. The win comes ahead of Madrid’s highly anticipated Champions League clash against Liverpool.
Federico Valverde and Jude Bellingham also found the net, capitalizing on Barcelona’s recent slip, which saw them concede two late goals in a 2-2 draw against Celta Vigo on Saturday. Notably, Madrid has played one game fewer than Barcelona, as their match against Valencia was postponed due to the devastating floods in October.
As Madrid prepares to face Premier League leaders Liverpool on Wednesday, they aim to bounce back from a disappointing 3-1 defeat to AC Milan in their previous Champions League outing.
Madrid’s attacking strategy proved effective against Leganes, with Vinícius Júnior operating more centrally while Mbappé took up a wider position. This tactical switch paid off as Mbappé ended a four-match scoring drought. “We switched their positions and the team was able to stay in control during the whole match,” said Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Mbappé expressed his adaptability, stating, “I’ve said from the first day that I can play in several different positions. All I want is to keep playing well and scoring goals.”
Athletic Bilbao Triumphs in Basque Derby
In other action, Oihan Sancet netted the decisive goal in the 26th minute, leading Athletic Bilbao to a 1-0 victory over Real Sociedad in the Basque Country derby. This marks Athletic’s fourth consecutive home win against their rivals, elevating them to fifth place in the league standings, while Sociedad remains in 10th.
Villarreal Salvages Draw Against Osasuna
Fourth-place Villarreal managed to secure a 2-2 draw against sixth-place Osasuna, scoring an equalizer in stoppage time. Osasuna’s Ante Budimir opened the scoring with two goals in the first 20 minutes. Villarreal responded with a goal from Álex Baena in the 67th minute, followed by a penalty converted by Gerard Moreno three minutes into injury time. Osasuna, now three points behind Villarreal, was looking to recover from a recent 4-0 defeat to Madrid.
Sevilla Ends Losing Streak
Additionally, Sevilla halted a two-game league losing streak with a narrow 1-0 win against Rayo Vallecano. The match saw Vallecano reduced to ten men for the entire second half following Unai López’s red card for a reckless foul. Djibril Sow scored the only goal of the match in the 27th minute, securing a vital three points for Sevilla.
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