Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior each found the net as Real Madrid snapped a four-game winless streak with a 2-1 victory over Alavés on Tuesday, closing the gap on LaLiga leaders Barcelona.
The win at the Santiago Bernabéu leaves Madrid six points behind Barcelona, which hosts Celta Vigo on Wednesday.
It marked Madrid’s first match since their elimination by Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals. Los Blancos had also struggled domestically, drawing 1-1 against Girona and losing 2-1 to Mallorca in their previous LaLiga matches.
The game began with tension inside the Bernabéu, as Alavés created early chances and drew frustration from the home crowd. Some fans even jeered during the first half and again after the final whistle following a late goal.
Mbappé broke the deadlock in the 30th minute with a deflected strike that beat goalkeeper Antonio Sivera. The French star, now leading the LaLiga scoring race with 24 goals, ended a scoring drought that stretched back to February.
Vinícius Jr. doubled the lead in the 50th minute with a powerful long-range effort, snapping his own dry spell after going six games without scoring for club and country.
Toni Martínez pulled one back for Alavés in stoppage time, but it wasn’t enough to change the result. The visitors remain just above the relegation zone, having won only once in their last nine league games.
Meanwhile, Éder Militão was forced off just before halftime with an injury, though Real Madrid later indicated it does not appear to be serious.
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