Mbappe on the mark as Real Madrid sink Alaves

TL;DR

Kylian Mbappe scored his 24th La Liga goal as Real Madrid defeated Alaves 2-1, keeping their title hopes alive. Vinicius Junior also scored, while Alaves managed a late consolation goal from Toni Martinez.

Key points

Kylian Mbappe scored his 24th goal this season in La Liga
Real Madrid defeated Alaves 2-1
Vinicius Junior scored the second goal for Madrid
Alaves scored a late goal through Toni Martinez
Madrid is six points behind Barcelona in La Liga

Real MadridAlavesBarcelonaCelta Vigo

Kylian Mbappe got his 24th goal this season in La Liga as Real Madrid held off a battling Alaves (Pierre-Philippe MARCOU) (Pierre-Philippe MARCOU/AFP/AFP) Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior scored as Real Madrid beat Alaves 2-1 on Tuesday to cling on to their slim hopes of catching Barcelona in La Liga. Mbappe struck his league-leading 24th goal, but first since early February, with a deflected shot on the half hour at the Santiago Bernabeu. Vinicius lashed in a second from distance early in the second half, which proved crucial as Alaves pulled a goal back in stoppage time through Toni Martinez. The victory ended a two-match winless run in La Liga for Madrid and moved them back to within six points of leaders Barcelona, who host Celta Vigo on Wednesday. "We have six matches coming up, the next one in three days. The aim is to win those matches – that's the goal we've set ourselves as a team," said Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa, whose position is under increasing scrutiny. "I don't care much about what's at stake for me personally. What matters to me is what's at stake for Real Madrid." Madrid are staring down the barrel of a second consecutive season without a major trophy following last week's Champions League quarter-final exit at the hands of Bayern Munich. Mbappe scored in both legs of that 6-4 aggregate defeat but a barren patch in La Liga, in part because of a knee injury, coincided with arch-rivals Barcelona streaking clear at the top. Madrid faced early pressure from relegation-threatened Alaves, who were unbeaten in four matches. Angel Perez broke in behind the home defence before strangely opting to pass instead of shooting with just blocking his path to goal. Martinez then tested the Real 'keeper after finding a pocket of space. Mbappe put Madrid ahead when his effort from just outside the box clipped a defender and wrong-footed . The France captain then had an attempt beaten away by Sivera and Eder Militao clipped the crossbar, injuring himself in the process and having to go off before the break. Martinez nearly levelled for Alaves when he poked a cross against the post, with his follow-up strike clawed out by Lunin. Vinicius hammered in from 25 yards to give Madrid breathing space, and was denied by a brilliant headed clearance off the goalline. Alaves continued to toil away as Victor Parada's diving header hit the upright. Martinez netted a consolation with an inventive flick in stoppage time before loud jeers greeted the final whistle in Madrid. Elsewhere, came from behind to triumph 3-2 at as bagged the winner 10 minutes from time. 's first-half goal lifted to a 1-0 home win over , while and drew 1-1. mw

Q&A

How many goals has Kylian Mbappe scored in La Liga this season?

Kylian Mbappe has scored 24 goals in La Liga this season.

What was the final score of the Real Madrid vs Alaves match?

Real Madrid won the match against Alaves with a final score of 2-1.

What are Real Madrid's current standings in La Liga after the match?

After the match, Real Madrid is six points behind league leaders Barcelona.