Real Madrid edged past Rayo Vallecano in a heated La Liga derby, thanks to Kylian Mbappe's 100th-minute penalty. The French forward coolly slotted home from the spot after Pathe Ciss was sent off for an ugly foul on Dani Ceballos.
The match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium began with Vinicius Junior scoring early on for Real Madrid, before Jude Bellingham limped off in the 15th minute with a hamstring injury. Despite losing their talismanic midfielder, Los Blancos took control and Vinicius fired high over Augusto Batalla to give his team an early lead.
However, Rayo Vallecano pulled level four minutes into the second half through Jorge de Frutos' equalizer, which was assisted by Alvaro Garcia's nod. The visitors had several opportunities to take the lead before Mbappe came close to putting Real Madrid ahead himself, but struck the bar from distance after a clever turn.
The match took a dramatic turn when Pathe Ciss was sent off for a foul on Dani Ceballos in the 70th minute. With their team outnumbered and Rayo's goalkeeper struggling, Los Blancos sensed an opportunity to seal three points.
Just before stoppage time, Madrid were awarded a penalty when Nobel Mendy clumsily fouled Brahim Diaz. Mbappe coolly dispatched the ball to snatch victory for his side, leaving Rayo Vallecano with nine men as Pep Chavarria was also sent off in the dying moments of the match.
The win marked Real Madrid's return to form after a midweek defeat at Benfica, and moves them within one point of league leaders Barcelona. Los Blancos now look to capitalize on their momentum ahead of their next fixture.
The match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium began with Vinicius Junior scoring early on for Real Madrid, before Jude Bellingham limped off in the 15th minute with a hamstring injury. Despite losing their talismanic midfielder, Los Blancos took control and Vinicius fired high over Augusto Batalla to give his team an early lead.
However, Rayo Vallecano pulled level four minutes into the second half through Jorge de Frutos' equalizer, which was assisted by Alvaro Garcia's nod. The visitors had several opportunities to take the lead before Mbappe came close to putting Real Madrid ahead himself, but struck the bar from distance after a clever turn.
The match took a dramatic turn when Pathe Ciss was sent off for a foul on Dani Ceballos in the 70th minute. With their team outnumbered and Rayo's goalkeeper struggling, Los Blancos sensed an opportunity to seal three points.
Just before stoppage time, Madrid were awarded a penalty when Nobel Mendy clumsily fouled Brahim Diaz. Mbappe coolly dispatched the ball to snatch victory for his side, leaving Rayo Vallecano with nine men as Pep Chavarria was also sent off in the dying moments of the match.
The win marked Real Madrid's return to form after a midweek defeat at Benfica, and moves them within one point of league leaders Barcelona. Los Blancos now look to capitalize on their momentum ahead of their next fixture.
That penalty from Mbappe in the 100th minute was insane! 
The way he coolly slotted it home was like a work of art, man! 
Pathe Ciss's red card earlier on definitely made things easier for Real Madrid, but I'm so hyped that they were able to capitalize on their chances and snatch the win in such dramatic fashion. 
Rayo Vallecano played them tough, no doubt about it, but Real Madrid just showed why they're one of the top teams in the league right now! 
You know what's crazy? How some teams still can't even keep a straight man! 
I mean, Rayo Vallecano got caught out for like, three fouls that led to pens... just doesn't add up 
. And now they're left with nine men and no points? Talk about a defensive masterclass 
. For Real Madrid, though, it's been a nice turnaround after that loss midweek. Mbappe's goal was pure class 
. Los Blancos are definitely looking sharp now and might just give Barcelona a run for their money 
! that 100th minute penalty from kylian mbappe is insane!! 
gotta keep an eye on kylian mbappe, the guy's a goal-scoring machine 
. And Pathe Ciss just lost it (literally) 
. On a side note, Vinicius Junior is on FIRE 
. Anyway, can't wait to see what happens next for Real Madrid, especially with Barcelona breathing down their necks 
. but u gotta give them props for sticking it out with only 9 men in the last minute, that's super gutsy 
! Rayo Vallecano coming from behind like that? Unreal! Those tackles were brutal though 
️ Now, with Mbappe scoring at the death like that, it's like he's unstoppable 
pathe ciss's red card was like, what are you even doing man?! and then nobel mendy just had to go and do it too... poor brahim diaz 
kylian mbappe's penalty goal though was absolute justice 
️ he deserves all the praise and i'm loving real madrid's resurgence right now 
Wow! 100th minute penalty from Kylian Mbappe is crazy! 
. Rayo Vallecano got robbed of a point or two. Alvaro Garcia was super unlucky with his nod assist, wish he could've helped turn the match around more 
. On the other hand, Mbappe's calmness under pressure is what separates Real Madrid from the pack 
. The way Rayo Vallecano kept pushing hard despite being down to 10 men was impressive tho 
what a thriller of a match!!! I'm literally shaking right now 
, how did he get that penalty in the 100th minute?! 
. And Pathe Ciss gotta be so careful with those tackles, doesn't want to give away free kicks again 
. Los Blancos are back on track after that midweek loss, and this win is gonna boost their confidence big time 
!
. And what's with Pathe Ciss's reckless tackle, did he think he could win the game by himself?