Key Takeaways
- Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior scored to earn Real Madrid a 2-1 home win over Alavés.
- The victory cuts Barcelona’s lead at the top to six points with six matches left.
- A late Alavés reply keeps the scoreline tight, but Madrid still need Barça to drop points.
Real Madrid stayed alive in the La Liga title fight after beating Deportivo Alavés 2-1 on Tuesday night. Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring on the half-hour mark, sweeping home his 24th league goal of the campaign. Six minutes after the restart Vinícius Júnior raced onto Federico Valverde’s pass and fired low into the corner to double the advantage.
Alavés, who sit just above the drop zone, grabbed a late consolation through Toni Martínez in added time, yet the damage was done. The result leaves Carlo Ancelotti’s side six points behind leaders Barcelona, who can restore a nine-point cushion when they welcome Celta Vigo on Wednesday.
Madrid’s hopes of silverware now rest almost entirely on the league; defeat by Bayern Munich has already ended their Champions League run. With only six rounds remaining, the champions must win every match and hope Hansi Flick’s side slip at least twice. The next test is a tricky trip to Real Betis on Friday, while Alavés return home to face Mallorca 24 hours later.