Real Madrid 3-2 Deportivo Alaves: Mbappe scores again as Los Blancos survive late rally to defeat Alaves
Lucas Vazquez recorded the fastest goal of the La Liga season as Real Madrid narrowly defeated Deportivo Alaves 3-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu, marking Carlo Ancelotti's 300th match in charge of the team.
In a surprising move, Los Blancos fielded a full-strength squad despite the impending Madrid derby on Sunday, and they seized control of the match in less than a minute.
Vinicius Junior, in his first contribution, surged to the byline and delivered a precise cutback for the arriving Vazquez to finish. With only 55 seconds elapsed, this goal marked Real's quickest in over six years, since Vazquez himself scored after 49 seconds against Real Sociedad in February 2018.
Kylian Mbappe had already seen a goal ruled out before he netted Madrid's second just five minutes before halftime, completing a stunning 26-pass sequence. After executing an audacious flick to Jude Bellingham, he received the ball back from his English counterpart, evaded the Alaves defense with a quick shoulder dip, and struck the ball past Antonio Sivera.
Unlike their first-half performance, the home team started slowly after the interval, taking three minutes to secure their third goal.
Rodrygo, with limited options ahead, capitalized on a loose ball just inside the Alaves half. The Brazilian showcased his speed and agility, maneuvering past two defenders and firing a low shot through Sivera's legs.
With the victory seemingly assured, Ancelotti took the opportunity to rest key players and introduced Endrick for a 20-minute stint, during which the young Brazilian impressed by holding off two defenders and striking the post. However, the match took a dramatic turn as two late goals from Alaves shocked the Bernabeu crowd.
Initially, Carlos Protesoni's shot from the perimeter of the penalty area sailed past Thibaut Courtois, seemingly serving as a mere consolation goal. However, Kike Garcia's astute finish just two minutes later transformed the situation, igniting the prospect of an unexpected comeback.
With six minutes of added time remaining, the hopes of the Basque team remained intact. Nevertheless, the home side secured another victory, extending their unbeaten streak in the league to 39 matches and maintaining their position alongside the early-season leaders, Barcelona.
SportsLigue