Real Madrid seized the provisional top spot in LaLiga on Saturday night, following a 2-0 victory over fourth-placed Villarreal at the Estadio de la Ceramica. Kylian Mbappe continued his extraordinary debut season, scoring both goals to take his league tally to 21 goals in just 20 appearances.
Despite a quiet first half, Real Madrid’s superstars exploded into life immediately after the interval. The deadlock was broken in the 47th minute following a trademark surge from Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian beat his marker on the left flank and cut the ball back; though Villarreal’s Pape Gueye attempted a clearance, Mbappe pounced on the loose ball to fire home.
The Frenchman sealed the three points in the 94th minute from the penalty spot. After being tripped by Alfonso Pedraza following another incisive pass from Vinicius, Mbappe stepped up to convert a "Panenka" style penalty; one would hope, a subtle tribute to teammate Brahim Diaz, who suffered a heart-breaking miss with the same technique for Morocco in last week’s AFCON final.
Vinicius and Mbappe are the two best in the world. They are very disruptive... we are very happy to have them in this form.
Alvaro Arbeloa, Real Madrid Manager
Since taking over from Xabi Alonso, Alvaro Arbeloa has stabilized a Madrid side that looked disjointed only weeks ago. Notably, this victory maintained Real’s defensive record of being the only team in Europe’s top five leagues yet to concede a first-half shot on target in a league game in 2026.
Midfield mastery: In the absence of the suspended Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga excelled in a dynamic holding role, registering a match-high 8 successful tackles.
Rising star: 18-year-old Franco Mastantuono impressed on the right wing, earning praise for his defensive work rate and "terrier-like" pressing from the front.
