Kylian Mbappé’s second-half brace lifted Real Madrid back to the top of La Liga with a 2–0 victory over Villarreal on Saturday, moving Carlo Ancelotti’s side two points clear of Barcelona at the summit.
Mbappé opened the scoring in the 47th minute before converting an injury-time penalty to seal Madrid’s win at El Madrigal. The goals took the France forward’s league tally to 21 goals in 20 appearances, the highest in La Liga this season.
Madrid capitalised on Barcelona’s defeat at Real Sociedad last weekend, though the Catalan side can reclaim top spot by beating bottom-placed Real Oviedo at home on Sunday.
The win continued Madrid’s recent revival following a turbulent fortnight marked by a coaching change and inconsistent performances. The club dismissed Xabi Alonso after defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final and then suffered a shock Copa del Rey exit to a second-tier side in the first match under new coach Álvaro Arbeloa.
Despite fan protests during recent home games, Arbeloa has now overseen three consecutive victories across competitions.
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Mbappé’s opener came after Vinícius Júnior drove down the left flank and squared the ball into the area, where a deflection fell kindly for the Frenchman, who struck decisively past goalkeeper Luiz Júnior.
Villarreal missed opportunities to respond, with Gerard Moreno firing over from close range in the 63rd minute. Mbappé later secured the result from the spot after being tripped by Alfonso Pedraza.
Arbeloa praised his attacking pair after the match. “They are two of the best players in the world, they break down defences and we try to get them as many touches as we can,” he said. “Winning at this ground has a lot of merit and it is thanks to the work of all my players.”
Villarreal slipped to fourth place, 10 points behind Madrid, and also lost defender Juan Foyth to injury in the first half.
Elsewhere, Valencia edged Espanyol 3–2 after a controversial late penalty, Sevilla ended a five-game winless run by beating Athletic Bilbao 2–1, and Osasuna defeated Rayo Vallecano 3–1 as the lower half of the table remained tightly packed.
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