Mbappe shines brightly as Real Madrid climbs to the top of La Liga 2025/26

Real Madrid demonstrated their strength by overcoming Villarreal 2-0 on the road, thanks to a brace from Mbappé, earning all 3 important points in the 21st round of La Liga.

Real Madrid traveled to Villarreal’s stadium in the 21st round of La Liga with nearly their strongest lineup under coach Arbeloa’s leadership. The home team started confidently and created the first dangerous chance, but Buchanan’s shot lacked the sharpness to beat the visiting defense. On the other side, Real Madrid quickly responded with a solo run inside the box by Arda Güler, but the young midfielder’s shot failed to open the scoring.

During the rest of the first half, the “White Falcons” dominated possession and continuously threatened Villarreal’s goal, though their shots were too weak and inaccurate. Villarreal also held their ground by organizing coherent counterattacks, but the lack of sharpness in the final touch meant both teams went into halftime without any goals.

In the second half, the deadlock was quickly broken. Early on, Kylian Mbappé took advantage of Vinícius Júnior’s speedy run down the left wing to break into the box and score from close range, putting Real Madrid ahead. With the lead, the visitors slowed the pace, focusing on controlling the game and maintaining a safe team shape.

Villarreal pushed forward and had an excellent chance to equalize, but Gerard Moreno wasted it by shooting over the bar from an unmarked position. As the match approached its final moments, Real Madrid unexpectedly accelerated. In the 90+2 minute, Mbappé was fouled inside the penalty area, and the referee immediately awarded a penalty to the visitors. From the spot, the French forward calmly converted to seal a 2-0 victory for the “White Falcons.”

This result temporarily places Real Madrid ahead of Barca in the standings with 51 points, 2 points clear of their biggest rival but having played one more match.