Kylian Mbappe was sent off for the first time in his Real Madrid career, but his teammates held firm to secure a hard-fought 1-0 win over Alaves, keeping them within four points of La Liga leaders Barcelona.
Mbappe received a straight red card after a high challenge on Antonio Blanco, initially punished with a yellow before VAR prompted referee Cesar Soto Grado to review the incident and upgrade the decision. The dismissal came just minutes after Eduardo Camavinga had given Real the lead with a superb curling strike from outside the box.
Despite being down to ten men, Real Madrid dug deep, with Thibaut Courtois producing a string of fine saves to deny Alaves, who were also reduced to ten men in the 70th minute when Manu Sanchez caught Vinicius Jr high on the leg.
Vinicius and Jude Bellingham started on the bench, likely rested ahead of Wednesday’s crucial Champions League second-leg clash against Arsenal, where Madrid will attempt to overturn a 3-0 deficit. Both were brought on in the second half, but Madrid struggled to assert control, managing just one shot on target after the break compared to five from the hosts.
The win ensures Carlo Ancelotti’s side stay in contention as the title race intensifies. However, Mbappe will now miss next Sunday’s home game against Athletic Bilbao due to suspension. All eyes will be on the potential title-decider when Real travel to face Barcelona on May 11.
