Real Madrid 2 – 1 Villarreal
Barcelona, however, still has a good chance to reclaim the top spot.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti had expressed concerns about the lack of rest for his players due to the packed schedule, and those concerns began to materialize as soon as the match started. Despite a revitalized Villarreal side, Real Madrid couldn’t impress with their performance. However, thanks to a brace from Kylian Mbappé, the La Liga champions managed to secure a comeback win.
In the La Liga match on Saturday, Real Madrid took the lead early, but despite dominating possession and attacking throughout the match, Villarreal returned empty-handed. Real Madrid won 2-1, regaining their place at the top of the league table.
Villarreal, with a goal from Juan Foyth, controlled possession slightly less but dominated the attack. They took 23 shots, 10 of which were on target, while Real Madrid only managed 9 shots, 5 of which were on target.
While Real Madrid earned just three corners, Villarreal had 11, but they couldn’t capitalize on any except for the first.
After 28 matches, Real Madrid sit at the top with 60 points from 18 wins and 6 draws. Barcelona, who have played two fewer matches, are 3 points behind in second. Atlético Madrid, with 56 points from 27 matches, are in third. Athletic Bilbao has 49 points in fourth, and Villarreal sits fifth with 44 points.
From the start of the match, the hosts played attacking football. In the 5th minute, they had their first significant chance, but Thibaut Courtois saved a low shot from Ayose Pérez in the box. Two minutes later, Pérez tried again from outside the box, but Courtois was there to save it with a diving stop, earning a corner.
Villarreal took the lead from that corner. Alex Baena’s delivery hit Juan Foyth’s knee and then ricocheted off Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni’s back, allowing Foyth to score from close range.
After weathering Villarreal’s sustained pressure, Real Madrid equalized in the 17th minute. Mbappé passed to Brahim Díaz, whose shot was saved by the keeper, and Mbappé smashed the rebound into the net for the equalizer.
Just a minute later, Real Madrid were saved by Courtois again, as he stopped a shot from Pape Gueye outside the box.
In the 23rd minute, Mbappé scored again, giving Real Madrid the lead. A cut-back from Lucas Vázquez was controlled by Mbappé, and with a powerful shot from the edge of the box, he beat the goalkeeper.
This was Mbappé’s 20th goal in 26 La Liga appearances this season, surpassing Robert Lewandowski of Barcelona, who has one more. In all competitions, Mbappé now has 31 goals for the season.
This was the first time Mbappé scored a brace in La Liga since January 25th, when he netted a hat-trick against Real Valladolid.
In the final minute of the first half, Courtois saved a shot from Nicolás Pepe to maintain the lead.
After the break, Villarreal had a strong start, creating two dangerous chances in just three minutes, although neither shot was on target. In the 59th minute, Real Madrid launched a counterattack, but once again, Courtois saved a powerful shot from Baena, keeping them ahead.
Due to the grueling 120-minute battle against Atlético and the high-pressure penalty shootout just 67 hours earlier, fatigue became noticeable in Real Madrid’s players as the game wore on. To freshen up the squad, Ancelotti made three substitutions, bringing on Antonio Rüdiger, Vinícius Júnior, and Luka Modrić for Raúl Asensio, Brahim Díaz, and Rodrygo.
Vinícius added some pace to the left wing, but overall, Real Madrid’s performance didn’t improve significantly. They did create a few good attacking chances, but they couldn’t test Villarreal’s goalkeeper enough.
On Sunday, Atlético Madrid will face Barcelona in a crucial match for second place in the table. The winner of that high-voltage encounter will have a chance to top the league, depending on Real Madrid’s next match.
