FC Barcelona maintains the lead in LaLiga EA Sports 2025/26 with a 4-point advantage over Real Madrid. At the close of Sunday's matchday, 'Los Blancos' avoided another slip-up in the tournament with a hard-fought victory against Alavés at Mendizorroza (1-2), in a very even match that was decided in the final quarter of an hour.
Xabi Alonso had to bet on youth player Víctor Valdepeñas as left-back, given the suspensions of Fran García and Álvaro Carreras. The Tolosa-born coach welcomed back Kylian Mbappé, who was absent due to injury against Manchester City, this time placing him as a left winger, with Vinicius as '9' and Rodrygo on the other flank.
The Brazilians, although they played a discreet match, were decisive in the second half, with **Vini's assist to Rodrygo** to break the 1-1 tie in the 76th minute, when the 'Merengues' were struggling the most. Mbappé and Carlos Vicente had scored the goals for the partial tie, the latter from the Vitorian striker in the second half.
Mbappé put Real Madrid ahead with a stunner
The first half was quite even, with possession shared and a rather sluggish Madrid despite the presence of Arda Güler as an attacking midfielder, behind Vinicius. **Jude Bellingham** also disappeared again as a central midfielder alongside Tchouaméni, while Mbappé carried the team's offensive burden.
In the 23rd minute, **'Kiki' took advantage of a long ball from Bellingham to break down the left** and move towards the center of the box. The '10' unleashed his classic right-footed shot, straight into the top corner, to put the visitors ahead at Mendizorroza. Jude scored the second three minutes later, but the goal was disallowed for handball by the Englishman when controlling the ball.Carlos Vicente tied the game as soon as he entered
The flow of the match didn't change much in the second half. Lucas Boyé made a threat in the opponent's box with a shot that went wide in the 60th minute, while Vinicius did the same with a shot that Antonio Sivera deflected to a corner with a great save.
Argentine Eduardo Coudet made a change in the 67th minute with a triple substitution: Toni Martínez, Carles Aleñá, and Carlos Vicente for Pablo Ibáñez, Calebe, and Rebbach. On the first ball he touched, Vicente took advantage of a long pass from Antonio Blanco to go one-on-one against Courtois, outrunning Rüdiger.
The '7' finished with authority against the Belgian and, although the linesman had raised the flag, the semi-automatic VAR validated Alavés's equalizer. The 1-1, at that moment, did justice to the proceedings of a very evenly matched game with few chances in either box.
Rodrygo prevented another Real Madrid slip-up, who remain 4 behind Barça
Three minutes after the equalizer, Carlos Vicente came very close to setting up Toni Martínez, but the Vitoria player arrived very stretched after the home team's good attack down the right and shot wide.
Real Madrid was lost on the field, on the verge of being knocked out, but Vinicius, in the 76th minute, managed to outpace Otto. The '7' sent a low cross into the center of the box, where Rodrygo appeared like an arrow to push the ball into the net and restore the lead for the Whites.
The bad news for the '11', who managed to score in consecutive matches after nine months without scoring, arrived in the 82nd minute, due to **a twinge in his calf** that forced him to be substituted for Brahim DíazFinally, Xabi Alonso's Madrid managed to secure the victory at Mendizorroza, a result that **maintains the 4-point gap behind Barcelona**. In the next matchday, the 'merengues' host Sevilla (Saturday) and Barça will visit Villarreal (Sunday) in the last matchday before the Christmas and New Year break.
Match Report: Deportivo Alavés 1-2 Real Madrid
- Deportivo Alavés, 1: Ivera; Jonny, Tenaglia, Jon Pacheco, Parada (Youseff, min. 88); Calebe (Carlos Vicente, min. 67), Pablo Ibáñez (Toni Martínez, min. 67), Antonio Blanco, Denis Suárez (Ibarra, min. 83), Rebbach (Aleñá, min. 67); Lucas Boyé.
- Real Madrid, 2: Courtois; Valverde, Asensio, Rüdiger, Valdepeñas (Huijsen, min. 78); Arda Güler (Gonzalo, min. 78), Tchouaméni, Bellingham; Rodrygo (Brahim, min. 83), Mbappé and Vinicius (Mastantuono, min. 88).
- Goals: 0-1, Kylian Mbappé (min. 24); 1-1, Carlos Vicente (min. 68); 1-2, Rodrygo Goes (min. 76).
- Referee: Víctor García Verdura. Booked Víctor Parada for Alavés. Validated the partial 1-1 scored by Carlos Vicente in the second half after VAR review. For Real Madrid, cautioned Vinicius Jr.
- Stadium: Mendizorroza in Vitoria.
- Incidents: match corresponding to matchday 16 of LaLiga EA Sports 2025/26.