Real Madrid secured a narrow 2-1 victory over Alaves at the Santiago Bernabeu. The win, however, was met with a subdued atmosphere and moderate whistles from the home crowd, reflecting a palpable sense of disappointment following their recent Champions League elimination and a performance that failed to fully ignite the fans.
The match began with Alaves posing an early threat. Their wing-back, Angel Perez, was particularly lively, delivering dangerous crosses that tested Real Madrid’s goalkeeper, Andriy Lunin. While Real Madrid controlled possession, they struggled to create clear-cut scoring opportunities. Occasional whistles were heard when the attacking duo of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior failed to connect effectively, despite crisp passes from the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jude Bellingham. Alaves maintained a resolute defense throughout the initial stages.
Kylian Mbappe broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute with a fortunate deflected shot from distance that caught Alaves goalkeeper Antonio Sivera off guard. This goal seemed to spark a more dominant period for Real Madrid, with Alaves finding it difficult to contain their pace. However, Mbappe later missed a good opportunity from a Vinicius cross. Just before halftime, Eder Militao’s effort struck the crossbar, but the defender was forced off with an injury, replaced by Antonio Rudiger. Mbappe’s ambitious lob attempt from 40 yards also failed to impress the Bernabeu faithful.
Alaves, spurred on, found their rhythm before the break. Toni Martinez struck the post with a shot on the run, and another dangerous cross from Perez required a sharp save from Lunin, prompting further whistles as the teams headed into halftime.
Alaves Pays for Missed Chances as Vinicius Delivers a Stunning Strike
Five minutes into the second half, Vinicius Junior doubled Real Madrid’s lead with a spectacular goal. Receiving the ball on the inside left channel from Fede Valverde, he drove inside and unleashed a powerful, precise strike into the same corner as Mbappe’s opener. Rather than celebrating exuberantly, Vinicius gestured an apology to the fans, acknowledging the subdued mood.
Following the goal, Real Madrid appeared to ease off, though they maintained control for a period. Dani Carvajal provided a threatening cross that the Alaves defense and Sivera managed to thwart, denying Vinicius another chance. Aurelien Tchouameni also forced a good save from Sivera from a corner, and Brahim Diaz saw his goal-bound effort cleared off the line by Nahuel Tenaglia.
Despite Real Madrid’s dominance, Alaves showed resilience. As Real Madrid lowered their tempo, Alaves pushed forward. Toni Martinez tested Lunin, Victor Parada hit the post with a header, and several Alaves midfielders saw their shots deflected wide. The final 15 minutes saw Alaves relentlessly attacking Real Madrid’s penalty area in search of a way back into the game.
In stoppage time, with Real Madrid unable to clear their lines, Ander Guevara’s shot was deflected in by Martinez, giving Alaves a late consolation goal. This late strike, however, came too late for them to mount a final push for an equalizer.
The late goal by Alaves only served to further fuel the discontent among some sections of the Bernabeu crowd. While Real Madrid secured the victory and reduced the gap to Barcelona to six points, the performance lacked the conviction expected by the fans, especially in the wake of their Champions League exit. Alaves will undoubtedly rue their missed opportunities, particularly considering their position just above the relegation zone.
