Vinícius Júnior scored two penalties and a Real Madrid team without superstar Kylian Mbappé moved top of La Liga with a 4-1 win over Real Sociedad on Saturday.
Mbappé watched from the substitutes’ bench after missing some team training sessions during the week with discomfort in his left knee. Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa said Friday he was able to play, but evidently he did not want to rush his star goal-getter.
Nor did he need to.
Mbappé and Jude Bellingham, out with a hamstring injury, watched as Madrid produced an assured team performance to end the visitors’ 10-game unbeaten run across all competitions and move two points clear of Barcelona before the defending champion visits Girona on Monday.
Perhaps Tuesday’s team-dinner at a fancy restaurant paid for by Mbappé and Vinícius helped focus the players before facing Benfica in the Champions League playoffs next week.
Gonzalo García opened the scoring with a slight touch to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross in the fifth minute. However, it was to be a largely frustrating game for the young attacker, who failed to make more of other good opportunities.
Dean Huijsen conceded a penalty for bringing down Yangel Herrera, and Mikel Oyarzabal duly equalized from the spot with a hard high centrally placed shot in the 21st.
Referee Francisco José Hernández Maeso awarded another penalty at the other end four minutes later when Jon Aramburu caught Vinícius’ ankle, bringing him down. The Brazilian dusted himself off to score from the spot in the 25th.
Madrid captain Fede Valverde gratefully scored the third in the 31st after being left too much space at the edge of the penalty box. It was Valverde’s first goal of the season.
Gonzalo should have scored again before the break when Valverde set him up for what looked like a simple tap in, but Vinícius made it 4-1 with his second spot kick after the break, awarded after Aramburu was again penalized for bringing him down.
Dani Carvajal made his long-awaited return around the hour mark when he replaced Alexander-Arnold for his first league appearance since Madrid’s 2-1 loss to Barcelona in October. Carvajal was reportedly unhappy that the 21-year-old Castilla player David Jiménez played at right back in Valencia last weekend.
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