Vinícius and Mbappé’s side bounced back to the path of victory after the heavy blow suffered three days ago.
With just about 30 seconds left in the eight minutes of added time, Real Madrid earned a penalty. Kylian Mbappé stepped up to extend the lead. In the final moments, Álvaro Arbeloa’s team managed to edge past a resilient Rayo Vallecano, who were down to ten men for much of the closing stages.
At Santiago Bernabéu on Sunday, the hosts secured a 2-1 win in La Liga. Real Madrid took an early lead thanks to a spectacular goal from Vinícius Júnior.
The dramatic victory brought Los Blancos within one point of their arch-rivals. After 22 matches, they have 17 wins and three draws, totaling 54 points, placing them second.
Barcelona sits atop the table with 55 points from an equal number of games.
After a strong run in the Champions League ended with a 4-2 loss to Benfica in the final round, sending them to the playoffs, Real Madrid suffered another setback in their first home game. Midfielder Jude Bellingham was forced off in the 10th minute due to injury.
Five minutes later, Vinícius took charge with individual brilliance. Receiving Brahim Díaz’s pass, the Brazilian forward navigated through three defenders in the box and struck the ball into the far post.
Vinícius had last scored in La Liga on October 4 against Villarreal. This goal marked his sixth of the season, and eighth across all competitions.
Just four minutes later, Rayo Vallecano goalkeeper Arda Güler denied any further advantage, and Vinícius missed a rebound chance.
Brahim Díaz, who came on as Bellingham’s replacement, had a good opportunity before halftime but was crowded in the box and lost control of the ball.
Early in the second half, Real Madrid’s defensive frailties showed as Jorge de Frutos equalized in the 49th minute, receiving a header outside the six-yard box and finishing cleanly with his left foot. Real’s players couldn’t react in time to challenge him.
In the 64th minute, Real nearly conceded again. Andrei Ratsu broke through at speed, leaving defenders behind and facing Courtois one-on-one in the box, but the goalkeeper blocked the shot with his foot.
Three minutes later, Real launched a counterattack of their own. Giler’s through pass from midfield found Mbappé, who rounded the advancing goalkeeper in the box, only to see his shot crash against the crossbar.
In the 80th minute, Dani Ceballos was fouled dangerously by Pathé Sis, who received a straight red card. Ceballos nearly scored immediately after, but his long-range strike hit the post.
Moments later, Eduardo Camavinga’s shot was also denied by the post, keeping the scoreline tight.
In the eighth minute of added time, Brahim Díaz was fouled in the box, awarding Real Madrid a penalty. Mbappé calmly converted, sealing the win and giving his side a sense of relief.
With this goal, the French forward now has 22 league goals this season, making him the top scorer so far.
Even after the penalty, the game continued into injury time. In the penultimate minute, Rayo defender Josep Maria received a second yellow card for pushing Rodrigo off the ball near the sideline, reducing the team to nine men.
Rayo Vallecano finished the game with nine players, remaining 17th in the table with 22 points from 22 matches.
