Real Madrid Stun Rayo Vallecano in Thrilling 2-1 Win at Santiago Bernabeu
In a dramatic turn of events, Real Madrid moved within one point of La Liga leaders Barcelona after edging out nine-man Rayo Vallecano 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on Sunday. The match was marked by controversy and drama, with several red cards handed out to players from both sides.
Kylian Mbappe's 100th-minute penalty proved to be the difference-maker in a hard-fought victory that left the Madrid crowd in an unsatisfied mood. Despite boasting the best team in the league for much of the match, Real Madrid struggled to calm the tempestuous atmosphere at home, with fans expressing their discontent towards their players after suffering an early defeat.
Vinicius Junior opened the scoring in the 15th minute with a well-timed shot that sailed over the outstretched hand of Rayo goalkeeper Augusto Batalla and into the net. Los Blancos were in control but failed to appease their fans at halftime, who were less than pleased despite their side's early advantage.
Rayo Vallecano responded by pulling level through Jorge de Frutos' equalizer four minutes into the second half. The visitors looked like they had taken Madrid to the wire before falling short. However, disaster struck for Rayo when Pathe Ciss was given his marching orders for an ugly foul on Dani Ceballos.
The drama continued to unfold as Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa's side took to the field with only nine men. Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the pitch, Kylian Mbappe, who was under pressure throughout much of the match, found himself just a few inches away from securing a second goal when his shot hit the crossbar.
In the 100th minute, however, Mbappe finally broke his duck, dispatching a penalty that proved to be the decisive factor in Real Madrid's win. However, drama continued as Rayo received yet another red card for midfielder Pep Chavarria's second yellow card.
In a dramatic turn of events, Real Madrid moved within one point of La Liga leaders Barcelona after edging out nine-man Rayo Vallecano 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on Sunday. The match was marked by controversy and drama, with several red cards handed out to players from both sides.
Kylian Mbappe's 100th-minute penalty proved to be the difference-maker in a hard-fought victory that left the Madrid crowd in an unsatisfied mood. Despite boasting the best team in the league for much of the match, Real Madrid struggled to calm the tempestuous atmosphere at home, with fans expressing their discontent towards their players after suffering an early defeat.
Vinicius Junior opened the scoring in the 15th minute with a well-timed shot that sailed over the outstretched hand of Rayo goalkeeper Augusto Batalla and into the net. Los Blancos were in control but failed to appease their fans at halftime, who were less than pleased despite their side's early advantage.
Rayo Vallecano responded by pulling level through Jorge de Frutos' equalizer four minutes into the second half. The visitors looked like they had taken Madrid to the wire before falling short. However, disaster struck for Rayo when Pathe Ciss was given his marching orders for an ugly foul on Dani Ceballos.
The drama continued to unfold as Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa's side took to the field with only nine men. Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the pitch, Kylian Mbappe, who was under pressure throughout much of the match, found himself just a few inches away from securing a second goal when his shot hit the crossbar.
In the 100th minute, however, Mbappe finally broke his duck, dispatching a penalty that proved to be the decisive factor in Real Madrid's win. However, drama continued as Rayo received yet another red card for midfielder Pep Chavarria's second yellow card.