Kylian Mbappe scored the opener and Vinicius Jr added a second as Real Madrid beat Alaves 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday, a result that cut Barcelona's lead at the top of La Liga to six points.
Mbappe's first-half effort took a deflection on the way in, giving Real Madrid the start they wanted before Vinicius finished superbly in the second half to make it 2-0. Alaves were never out of it, though, and Martinez set up a tense finish with almost the last kick of the game.
Real Madrid had to ride out chances from Alaves before the referee finally blew the full-time whistle at the Bernabeu, after three minutes of additional time. The closest they came to a third was late on, when Mbappe picked out Mastantuono on the right flank and the substitute fired narrowly over the angle of bar and post.
The win mattered because Barcelona were yet to play this round, leaving Real Madrid with pressure on their title rivals rather than the other way around. No side has ever clawed back a nine-point lead at this stage of the season to win La Liga, and Madrid's comeback from that kind of gap is now firmly in play.
For Alaves, the late goal gave them a chance they had nearly run out of time to find. For Real Madrid, it was a reminder that a game can look settled and still turn anxious in the final seconds, even when Mbappe and Vinicius have already done the hard part.
