Real Madrid, Spanish champion, relaunched the title race on Sunday by logically winning against its modest neighbor Leganés (3-0), thanks in particular to its star Kylian Mbappé, during the fourteenth day of La Liga.
The French striker, who made his return to the field after missing the Blues rally for the second time in two months, found the net on an offering from the Brazilian Vinicius (43rd, 1-0) to open the scoring , before the Uruguayan Federico Valverde (66th, 2-0) then the Englishman Jude Bellingham (86th, 3-0) widened the gap in the second period.
A solid victory which allows the Madrid giant (2nd, 30 points with a match in hand) to come back to within four lengths of its great rival FC Barcelona (1st, 34 points), hanging on Saturday in Vigo (2-2).
Established on the left side, his preferential position, pushing “Vini” into the axis, for the first time this season, Mbappé proved his coach Carlo Ancelotti right, who had estimated the day before that the French striker’s poor series ( 1 goal in his last 7 matches) would end this Sunday on the pitch of the Butarque stadium, in the suburbs of Madrid.
“We changed the position of the attackers, with Mbappé on the side, and he was very good, just like Vinicius in the middle. (…) He is more used to playing in this position and today, for the team and for him, it was better. Vinicius returned from selection on Thursday, he had been training here for a week and a half, so he was very good and he scored. after a fantastic assist from Vinicius, little by little, they are both improving,” said the Italian technician at a press conference.
Very active in the first period, where he systematically sought to create danger, by dribbling or hitting (3rd, 5th, 27th) and by combining with his teammates, the captain of the Blues, served on a plate by Vinicius, did not finally had to push the ball into the goal left empty by Serbian goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic (43rd).
Not the most complicated goal of his career, therefore, but oh so liberating for the ex-PSG striker, who is going through a bad patch on and off the field (failed Euro, financial dispute with PSG, accusations of rape brought by the Swedish press).
Mbappé and Real now have an immense challenge ahead of them, Wednesday at Anfield against Liverpool, at the top of the Premier League and the Champions League and undefeated for 14 matches in all competitions.
In the other matches of the afternoon, Villarreal (4th, 25 points) snatched a draw (2-2) at the end of added time on the Osasuna pitch (5th, 22 points), while Sevilla FC (12th, 18 points) gave itself a little breathing room by beating (1-0) Rayo Vallecano (13th, 16 points).
At the end of this fourteenth day, Athletic Bilbao (5th, 23 points) won the Basque derby against Real Sociedad (10th, 18 points) in San Mamés (1-0), thanks to a goal from Oihan Sancet ( 26th).
