Mbappé double sends Real Madrid top of La Liga

La Liga’s title race swung again as Real Madrid moved top of the table with a 2-0 win over Villarreal, leapfrogging Barcelona at the summit.

Kylian Mbappé scored both goals to take his league tally to 21 in 19 appearances, sealing a result that continues Madrid’s strong run under head coach Álvaro Arbeloa.

The first half was largely cagey, with both sides cancelling each other out and limiting chances. Villarreal stayed compact, while Madrid struggled to find rhythm before the break.

Mbappé strikes after the restart

Real Madrid came out sharper in the second half and took the lead almost immediately. Mbappé reacted quickest after Vinícius Júnior’s low cross was only partially cleared, smashing the ball past goalkeeper Luiz Júnior from close range.

Villarreal players protested that Vinícius had carried the ball out of play in the build-up, but the goal stood after checks.

Madrid began to dominate possession, with Vinícius causing problems down the left, though his La Liga goal drought stretched to 13 matches.

Missed chances and late penalty

Villarreal had a golden opportunity to equalise in the 62nd minute when Gerard Moreno met a quick Dani Parejo free-kick unmarked, but he fired over the bar.

The visitors pushed forward late on, but were punished in stoppage time. Mbappé was fouled inside the box by Alfonso Pedraza and calmly converted the resulting penalty down the middle to seal the win.

Title race tightens again

The victory lifts Real Madrid two points clear at the top. They had trailed Barcelona by four points when the league resumed in January, but last weekend’s shock defeat for Hansi Flick’s side against Real Sociedad opened the door.

Madrid have now won three consecutive matches in all competitions under Arbeloa, who replaced Xabi Alonso few weeks agi.

However, the lead may be short-lived, with Barcelona set to reclaim top spot if they beat bottom club Real Oviedo on Sunday.