Mbappe Sees Red as Real Madrid Edge Alaves to Stay in La Liga Title Hunt
Ten-Man Real Madrid Hold Off Alaves Despite Mbappe's First Red Card
- Mbappe received his first red card in a Real Madrid shirt
- The French star was initially booked for a high challenge on Antonio Blanco
- All eyes will be on the El Clásico showdown at Camp Nou on May 11
Kylian Mbappe received his first red card in a Real Madrid shirt, but his teammates held firm to secure a hard-fought win over Alaves and keep pace with La Liga leaders Barcelona.
The French star was initially booked for a high challenge on Antonio Blanco, but the decision was upgraded to a straight red following a VAR review, leaving Los Blancos down to 10 men just minutes after taking the lead.
Eduardo Camavinga had opened the scoring for Real Madrid with a stunning curling effort from the edge of the box just four minutes before Mbappe’s dismissal.
Despite being a man down, Real managed to weather the storm, thanks in large part to goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who made six crucial saves to deny a determined Alaves side. The hosts were later reduced to 10 men as well when Manu Sanchez was sent off for a reckless foul on Vinicius Jr in the 70th minute.
With one eye on their upcoming Champions League clash against Arsenal—where they’ll be looking to overturn a 3-0 deficit—manager Carlo Ancelotti opted to rest both Vinicius and Jude Bellingham, only bringing them on in the second half to help secure the win. However, Real struggled to create clear chances, registering just one shot on target after the break, compared to five from Alaves.
The victory keeps Real Madrid within four points of Barcelona, who narrowly beat Leganes 1-0 on Saturday.
Mbappe will now miss Real’s upcoming home fixture against Athletic Bilbao due to suspension. All eyes will be on the El Clásico showdown at Camp Nou on May 11—a potential title decider as the race for the La Liga crown intensifies.
