Real Madrid 3-2 Leganes: Mbappe brace inspires Los Blancos comeback win over Leganes
Kylian Mbappe delivered a match-winning performance for Real Madrid, scoring twice in a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory against relegation-threatened Leganes on Saturday. The reigning champions moved level on points with Barcelona at the top of LaLiga, with both teams sitting on 63 points. Barcelona will have the chance to reclaim sole leadership when they host Girona on Sunday. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid’s 1-1 draw at Espanyol earlier in the day left them trailing by six points in third place.
"It was a difficult match. After the international break, it's always difficult," Mbappe told RMTV.
Real Madrid controlled possession early and took the lead in the 32nd minute when Mbappe confidently chipped in a penalty, awarded after Oscar Rodriguez fouled Arda Guler. However, Leganes responded instantly, as Diego Garcia capitalized on a loose ball at the far post to equalize just a minute later. The visitors then stunned the Bernabeu crowd in the 41st minute when Rodriguez set up Dani Raba to slot past Andriy Lunin, giving Leganes a 2-1 lead before halftime.
Jude Bellingham restored parity two minutes into the second half, reacting quickly to steer the ball into the net after a rebound off the crossbar. The decisive moment arrived in the 76th minute when Mbappe sealed the win with a stunning curled free kick.
"We know what we always have to do: win. We started well, in the opposition half, and we scored a goal. Then we didn't play well for 20 minutes and conceded two goals," Mbappe said. "But we know that if we play well, we'll score, and in the second half, we scored two goals. We won the game and we're very happy."
Reflecting on his match-winning strike, he added: "We worked on (the set piece) a few weeks ago with the staff. I knew I could shoot this way, I saw the space. I asked the others to let me shoot, and it worked out well."
Leganes battled until the final whistle but suffered a third consecutive defeat, leaving them 18th in the table with 27 points, level with 17th-placed Alaves, who edge them on goal difference.
"We have done a tremendous job. We leave with our heads held high because we were fighting until the end to score here," said Leganes striker Garcia. "Ultimately, it was down to the details that they took it. We played a very serious game and now we have to think about next week."
SportsLigue