Real Madrid secured their third win of the week, defeating Villarreal in a thrilling match at the Estadio de la Cerámica.
The first half saw few chances for either side. Gerard Moreno chipped a brilliant ball over the goalkeeper to George Mikotadze, but his volley lacked accuracy.
On the other side, Vinicius Junior almost scored for Real Madrid, but his shot from the edge of the penalty area went just wide of the left post.
Villarreal put up a good fight against Real Madrid before the end of the first half, but their spirits were broken just two minutes into the second half. Vinicius shone, bursting towards the goal line in a rare moment of brilliance, outjumping Pau Navarro. Pape Gueye couldn’t deal with his cross, allowing Kylian Mbappe to tap the ball into the net for his 20th La Liga goal of the season.
In stoppage time, Mbappe sealed the three points from the penalty spot. He was brought down by Alfonso Pedraza, but got back up to score a stunning Panenka-style goal, his second of the night and his 21st of the season in La Liga.
This is Villarreal’s third consecutive defeat, following losses to Real Betis last weekend and Ajax midweek. For Real Madrid, this latest victory allowed them to leapfrog Barcelona and take the top spot in La Liga, although the Catalan side can reclaim the lead if they beat Real Oviedo on Sunday.
