After the brutal thrashing at the Metropolitano against Atlético de Madrid, Real Madrid returned to winning ways in LaLiga with a victory at the Santiago Bernabéu against Villarreal (3-1). Xabi Alonso's side were superior and, beyond a scare in the final stretch, deservedly took all three points with goals from Vinicius (2) and Kylian Mbappé.
The 'Casa Blanca' controlled the match with authority in the first 15 minutes, suffocating Villarreal with high pressure. Marcelino's team resisted the white siege by defending very close to their goal, although the locals barely troubled the goal of the former Barça Atlètic goalkeeper Arnau Tenas with a high shot from Arda Güler and another weak shot from Kylian Mbappé.
After a scoreless first half, Vinicius opened the scoring in the 47th minute with a good run down the left and a shot that benefited from a deflection to surprise Tenas. The Brazilian extended the lead with a penalty in the 70th minute and Mbappé, with the Castellón team already at a numerical disadvantage, sealed the match with another goal in the 80th minute.
Ineffective dominance for Real Madrid in the first half
Madrid had warned before halftime with a high header from Tchouaméni and another shot from Mastantuono saved on the goal line by Renato Veiga. The Argentinian was very active in the first 45 minutes, but quite erratic in his finishing.
Mbappé, meanwhile, did not have as much impact inside the area as in other matches, dropping back several meters to link up with Güler. Villarreal, on the other hand, had the best chance of the first half in the 41st minute, with a one-on-one wasted by Tani Oluwaseyi.
The Canadian was unable to solve against Courtois after surpassing Militao and Huijsen with a great filtered pass by Alberto Moleiro. Before the break, the main referee Guillermo Cuadra cautioned Mastanuono for an elbow on Cardona that could well have cost the 18-year-old winger his expulsion.
A double by Vinicius led Real Madrid to victory against Villarreal
At halftime, Marcelino made a move on the bench, taking off Buchanan and Moleiro to bring on Pépé and Mikautadze. However, the changes did not improve the 'Yellow Submarine'. On the contrary, it was Real Madrid who managed to break the deadlock just four minutes after the break.
In the 49th minute, Mbappé passed to Vinicius, who was positioned on the left. The ball went long for the '7', but he had time and space to move towards the area, outpacing Santiago Mouriño. As he approached the opponent's goal, the Brazilian took a right-footed shot that deflected off Comesaña, leaving Arnau Tenas with no chance.
Later, in the 70th minute, Vini was once again the protagonist. The winger arrived dangerously on the end line and was brought down by Rafa Marín. Cuadra Fernández did not hesitate to award the penalty and the 25-year-old forward took charge of the shot. Arnau came close to stopping the shot, but the ball slipped between his side and his right arm.
Mbappé finished off a Villarreal with ten men in the final stretch
When Villarreal was at its worst, a goal from Georges Mikautadze revived Marcelino's team in the 73rd minute. The Georgian received a pass from Gueye at the edge of the area and deceived the Madrid center-backs, making them retreat with a feint to attack the area before receiving the ball. With time and space, the '9' unleashed a precise shot, unstoppable for Courtois. Xabi Alonso, who had already shaken up the bench with the entry of Camavinga and Bellingham for Ceballos and Güler, once again turned to his substitutes, bringing on Brahim Díaz for Mastantuono. In the 77th minute, Cuadra Fernández chose to book Mouriño for a foul on Vinicius. The full-back was already on a yellow card and, therefore, was harshly sent off.
Already with a numerical advantage, Madrid closed out the match in the 80th minute, taking advantage of a steal by Bellingham near the area and a good one-two between Brahim and Kylian that ended in a goal by the Frenchman. The '10' now has 9 goals and extends his lead in the Pichichi table, with a 3-goal advantage over Julián Álvarez (6).
In this way, Real Madrid momentarily regains the LaLiga lead with 21 points, pending what happens in the Sevilla-Barça match on Sunday (16:15 CEST). Villarreal, for now, remains third with 16. Marcelino's team, after the break, will host Betis. 'Casa Blanca', meanwhile, will go to Getafe a week before the first Clásico of the season.
Match facts: Real Madrid 3-1 Villarreal
- Real Madrid, 3: Courtois; Valverde, Militao, Huijsen, Carreras; Tchouameni, Ceballos (Camavinga, min. 65); Arda Güler (Bellingham, min. 65), Mastantuono (Brahim, min. 75), Vinicius; Mbappé (Rodrygo, min. 83).
- Villarreal, 1: Arnau Tenas; Mouriño, Rafa Marín, Renato Veiga, Cardona; Gueye (Pedraza, min. 73), Comesaña (Parejo, min. 86), Thomas; Moleiro (Mikautadze, min. 46), Buchanan (Pepé, min. 46), Oluwaseyi (Altimira, min. 82).
- Goals: 1-0, Vinicius Jr. (min. 49); 2-0, Vinicius Jr. (min. 70, p.); 2-1, Georges Mikautadze (min. 73); 3-1, Kylian Mbappé (min. 80).
- Referee: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández. Booked Santiago Mouriño, Sergi Cardona, and Pape Gueye for Villarreal. Sent off Mouriño in the 77th minute for a second yellow card. Awarded a penalty for a foul by Rafa Marín on Vinicius Jr. in the 68th minute. Booked Franco Mastantuono and Aurélien Tchouaméni for Real Madrid.
- Stadium: Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid.
- Incidents: Match corresponding to matchday 8 of LaLiga EA Sports 2025/26.