Real Madrid edges past Rayo Vallecano with Mbappes late penalty goal

Real Madrid Earn Hard-Fought Victory Over Rayo Vallecano

Real Madrid secured a 2-1 win over local rivals Rayo Vallecano in a La Liga match on Sunday, cutting Barcelona’s lead back to one point at the top of the table. The victory came after Spanish champions Barcelona beat Elche earlier in the day.

Kylian Mbappe scored the winning penalty in the 100th minute to seal the win for Real Madrid. Vinicius Junior opened the scoring for Madrid in the 15th minute, before Jorge de Frutos equalized for Rayo Vallecano in the second half. Pathe Ciss was sent off for Rayo after a foul on Dani Ceballos.

The match saw several key incidents, including Jude Bellingham’s injury and Alvaro Garcia’s goal for Rayo Vallecano. Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa had urged fans to support the team before the match, but they whistled their own players during the game.

In the second half, Andrei Ratiu missed a chance to put Rayo Vallecano ahead, and Mbappe came close to scoring again before the penalty was awarded. The winning penalty from Mbappe gave Real Madrid a crucial three points in the La Liga standings.

Rayo Vallecano finished the match with nine men after Pep Chavarria was shown a second yellow card for shoving Rodrygo Goes. The victory marked a significant shift in the La Liga table, with Real Madrid now just one point behind Barcelona.

Source: Al Jazeera