Kylian Mbappe's double against Villarreal propelled Real Madrid to the top of La Liga table, as the 25-year-old France international notched his 21st league goal of the season.
Real Madrid moved two points clear of Barcelona at the summit of the La Liga standings after a convincing 2-0 win over third-placed Villarrel at the Estadio de la Ceramica. Alvaro Arbeloa's team have now won three consecutive matches in all competitions, and victory against Villarrel could be a vital turning point for their season.
Kylian Mbappe's contribution was pivotal to Madrid's success, with the forward scoring twice - including a penalty in stoppage time after being felled in the box. Mbappe has been instrumental in Real Madrid's resurgence, having reached 21 goals for the season so far, making him La Liga's top scorer.
The lively match saw Villarrel push hard to level the scoreline but ultimately fell short, with Gerard Moreno spurning their best chance by firing inches over. Meanwhile, Arda Guler and Vinicius also came close for Madrid before Mbappe opened the scoring with his 20th league goal of the campaign in the second half.
The win marked Real Madrid's first victory at Villarrel since October, as they seek to regain their dominance in La Liga. With Barcelona hosting Real Oviedo on Sunday, Madrid now have a two-point lead over their city rivals and a clear path to securing their title bid.
Real Madrid moved two points clear of Barcelona at the summit of the La Liga standings after a convincing 2-0 win over third-placed Villarrel at the Estadio de la Ceramica. Alvaro Arbeloa's team have now won three consecutive matches in all competitions, and victory against Villarrel could be a vital turning point for their season.
Kylian Mbappe's contribution was pivotal to Madrid's success, with the forward scoring twice - including a penalty in stoppage time after being felled in the box. Mbappe has been instrumental in Real Madrid's resurgence, having reached 21 goals for the season so far, making him La Liga's top scorer.
The lively match saw Villarrel push hard to level the scoreline but ultimately fell short, with Gerard Moreno spurning their best chance by firing inches over. Meanwhile, Arda Guler and Vinicius also came close for Madrid before Mbappe opened the scoring with his 20th league goal of the campaign in the second half.
The win marked Real Madrid's first victory at Villarrel since October, as they seek to regain their dominance in La Liga. With Barcelona hosting Real Oviedo on Sunday, Madrid now have a two-point lead over their city rivals and a clear path to securing their title bid.
kylian mbappe is literally unstoppable right now!!! 
he's carrying real madrid to the top and i'm living for it 
alvaro arbeloa's team is on fire 
21 league goals already?!? 
️ what a match! villarreal gave it their all, but just fell short 
can't wait to see what madrid does next 
! I'm loving how Real Madrid is finally getting back into form 
️, and Kylian Mbappe's performances are just incredible 
. He's got 21 goals for the season already? That's insane! 
I was on the edge of my seat when he scored that penalty in stoppage time 
, it gave the whole stadium a buzz 
and this win over Villarrel will definitely give them confidence heading into their next matches. Can we please see more of this Mbappe magic for the rest of the season? 
they say 3 consecutive wins for Real Madrid but I'd rather see stats on how many times they've been leading in the game vs being level or trailing 
like we're all here for that info, right?
The way Mbappe scored that penalty in stoppage time was pure magic, and Gerard Moreno should've scored at least once for Villarreal 
. Anyway, it's clear that Real Madrid are on track to win the title, and I'm here for it! 
! That penalty in stoppage time was pure magic 
! I'm telling u, he's not just a great player, he's a game-changer 
! Real Madrid is so lucky to have him on their team 
! And Villarreal thought they could take them down, but Madrid showed them who's boss 
️!
! I mean, 21 goals already and he's still got so much more to give. His partnership with Vinicius is unreal, they're like two peas in a pod on the pitch 
. And that stoppage time penalty was pure magic 
it's just too obvious that he's getting all the chances and goals because of his superstar status. I mean, come on, Barcelona has been playing some incredible football this season too and they're not exactly crying themselves to sleep at night over their lack of goal-scoring consistency. And what about Vinicius? He's doing amazing work down the wing and is so underrated for his contributions to Real Madrid's success 
. Maybe it's time for Mbappe to share some of that spotlight