Kylian Mbappe was shown the red card for the first time in his Real Madrid career but his teammates managed to hang on and beat Alaves and close back up to within four points of La Liga pacesetters Barcelona.
VAR Upgrade Turns Yellow to Red
Kylian Mbappe was first given a yellow card for catching Antonio Blanco high on the shin with a late tackle. But that was upgraded to red. Video assistant referee (VAR) asked referee Cesar Soto Grado to review the incident on the pitchside monitor.
Camavinga Opens the Scoring
The incident came four minutes after Eduardo Camavinga had put Real Madrid ahead with a curling left-footed shot from just beyond the penalty area.
Courtois Holds Firm Amid Alaves Pressure
Thibaut Courtois made six saves to keep out Alaves. They were reduced to 10 men when Manu Sanchez fouled Vinicius Jr. The challenge was high on the leg and came in the 70th minute.
Vinicius and Jude Bellingham began on the bench. Possibly with an eye to the 3-0 deficit they will try to recover from against Arsenal. In the Champions League. On Wednesday.
Ancelotti Introduces Stars Late, Alaves Dominate Shots
Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti fielded his two star players when his team targeted completing the defeat of the home team, yet they managed one second-half target in comparison to the five on goal for Alaves.
Real win keeps them up with their main rivals, 1-0 victors away to strugglers Leganes over the weekend.
Mbappe to Miss Athletic Bilbao Clash
Kylian Mbappe misses Real’s upcoming home game at Athletic Bilbao next Sunday because he will serve suspension.
Real Madrid will be making the trip to Barcelona on 11 May in a game which could settle the title showdown.