Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe grabbed the goals to redeem an otherwise sloppy performance from Real Madrid, as Los Blancos snagged what might be three vital points in the Liga title race with a 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano.
Madrid buzzed and pressed in the early goings without making much happen, but Mbappe provided the breakthrough after 30 minutes with a signature cut onto his right foot and ensuing smash into the bottom corner. Vinicius made it two after four minutes later as a wonderful bit of skill created an angle for his deflected strike. The visitors stuck around, though, and Pedro Diaz brought Rayo back into it with a wonderful strike on the stroke of half-time.
Carlo Ancelotti’s players really should have put the game to bed after the break. Vinicius was a constant marauding presence down the left, while Mbappe caused problems in spurts, but they missed chances in spades as the Brazilian put one narrowly wide from point-blank range and his French colleague lashed another just outside the post. Rayo, for their part, didn’t offer enough going forward to seriously threaten an equaliser, a speculative volley a few yards wide serving as their best chance.
Madrid would have liked to have made things easier for themselves, and it really should have been five or six. But the win pulls them level on points with La Liga leaders Barcelona, albeit the Blaugrana now have a game in hand after the postponement of Saturday’s meeting with Osasuna.
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