Real Madrid has moved level on points with Barcelona after a hard-fought victory against Rayo Vallecano in La Liga. The win, achieved through a 2-1 scoreline, saw the hosts take a comfortable lead in the first half with two goals in just four minutes.
Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring by cutting inside and slotting the ball into the bottom corner. Minutes later, Vinicius Jr. doubled the advantage with a similar finish, though the ball took a slight deflection off Rayo Vallecano’s defender Andrei Ratiu.
However, Rayo Vallecano responded before halftime as Pedro Diaz fired a stunning shot off the crossbar, scoring his first-ever goal for the club and halving the deficit in stoppage time.
Jude Bellingham made his long-awaited return after serving a two-game suspension in La Liga but had to be substituted late in the match due to a possible injury following an awkward fall.
The result leaves Barcelona in first place with a game in hand, while Real Madrid is second, tied on points but behind due to goal difference. Carlo Ancelotti’s side will now focus on their upcoming Champions League clash, as they prepare for the second leg of their last-16 tie against Atlético Madrid on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Atlético Madrid missed the opportunity to go top of La Liga earlier on Sunday, suffering a surprising 2-1 defeat to Getafe. Atlético took the lead with an Alexander Sorloth penalty but saw Angel Correa sent off in the 88th minute. Mauro Arambarri’s two late goals in the final two minutes handed Getafe a dramatic win.
