Mbappe and Vinicius Junior Lead Real Madrid to Narrow Victory as Alaves Edge Closer to Drop Zone

Key Takeaways:

• Real Madrid reduced the gap to La Liga leaders Barcelona to six points with a 2-1 win over Alaves at the Bernabeu
• Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe both found the net, while Toni Martinez registered a late consolation goal for Alaves
• Alaves have secured just one win from their last 10 league fixtures, increasing their relegation fears

Match Overview

Real Madrid reignited their title aspirations on home soil last night, clinching a 2-1 triumph against Alaves to close the gap on Barcelona at the top of La Liga to six points. The three points, however, came at the expense of sending Alaves further into relegation danger, as the visitors have now only managed one win in their last ten league matches.

🏁 FT: @RealMadridEN 2-1 @Alaves
⚽ 30' @KMbappe
⚽ 50' @vinijr
⚽ 90'+3' T. Martínez
👉 @Emirates pic.twitter.com/PsWTpy5mNa

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) April 21, 2026

First-Half Missteps and Madrid’s Fortunate Opener

The hosts endured a nervous beginning when Alvaro Carreras’ indecision in defence gifted Angel Perez a clear run on goal, but his attempt to set up Lucas Boye missed its mark. From that point, Madrid assumed control of possession but were largely ineffective in the final third, struggling to create meaningful chances.

The breakthrough arrived somewhat fortuitously at the half-hour mark. Kylian Mbappe spun into space and unleashed a hopeful strike from outside the area, which took a wicked deflection off Jonny Otto, deceiving goalkeeper Antonio Sivera before nestling inside the near post.

Madrid threatened to double their lead when Eder Militao met Jude Bellingham’s cross and rattled the crossbar, while Alaves responded in kind as Toni Martinez flicked an effort against the woodwork just prior to the interval.

Second-Half Progress and Alaves’ Late Response

Although Real Madrid’s first-half display mirrored their recent struggles, they returned re-energised after the break. Their renewed urgency quickly bore fruit when Federico Valverde drove forward and supplied Vinicius Junior, who fired a superb finish into the near bottom corner from distance, leaving Antonio Sivera stranded.

The hosts continued to apply pressure, and Brahim Diaz saw a curling shot cleared off the line by Nahuel Tenaglia, narrowly missing Madrid’s third of the evening.

Alaves responded with a fighting finish, as Toni Martinez forced Andriy Lunin into action before striking the woodwork again with a diving header. Deep into stoppage time, Martinez finally turned Ander Guevara’s shot past Lunin with an inventive backheel to deny Real Madrid a clean sheet for the ninth consecutive La Liga fixture.

Looking Ahead: Title Race and Relegation Battle

This much-needed victory marked Real Madrid’s first league win since April, but with only seven matchdays remaining and Barcelona showing no signs of relenting, Los Blancos face an uphill challenge in the title race. The highly anticipated second league Clasico of the season remains on the horizon.

For Alaves, the situation has become increasingly dire. Despite a brief resurgence by the league’s bottom-three sides, who have each won two of their past three, Quique Sanchez Flores’ team are now staring down the relegation trapdoor, with points from the Bernabeu never likely to materialise.