MADRID.- Forced not to make the slightest mistake if he wants to try to reduce his disadvantage with the FC Barcelonahe real Madrid reacted in LaLiga this Tuesday, among the whistles of his fans, before the modest Alavéswhom they beat 2-1 thanks to two sparks of Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior.
A week after their elimination in the quarterfinals of the Champions League at the hands of Bayern Munichthe merengue team (2nd, 73 points) did not shine, but maintained a slight hope of avoiding a blank season by being six points behind Barça (1st, 79 points), which will host the Celtic of Vigo (6th, 44 points) on Wednesday in the Camp Nou.
Against the modest Basque team, immersed in the fight to avoid relegation, Real Madrid made the difference with two long shots from Mbappé (30′) and Vinicius (50′) to return to the path of victory after four consecutive games without winning.
Whistles from the public
However, the two flashes of the two main stars had made it possible to hide those same whistles from the demanding Madrid public at the beginning, until the French midfielder entered the second half. Eduardo Camavingataken as a target of criticism after his red card in the second leg against Bayern (4-3 defeat).
On an individual level, Mbappé, scorer of his 24th goal of the season in the League, the first in more than two months, came closer to his second Pichichi title (top scorer in the League), something that will hardly be enough to save his team’s season, condemned to rely on a miraculous collapse by Barça in the defense of its title.
“We have six games, the next one in three days. The objective is to win those games, it is the objective that we have set for ourselves as a group,” declared the Madrid coach. Alvaro Arbeloa.
“I care very little about what I have at stake. What matters to me is what Real Madrid has at stake and we will go out to win those six games,” he added when asked about the influence of those six games on his continuity at the head of the white bench.
The Spanish forward Toni MartinezAlavés’ most dangerous player, who had previously hit the post, closed the gap in added time (90+3′) with a back-heeled goal.
Also this Tuesday, the Athletic Bilbao almost definitively put away the specter of relegation by beating 1-0 Osasuna in San Mamés.
An Athletic that had just finished fourth last year, but is experiencing a calamitous season on all fronts, won with suffering with a goal from the forward Gorka Guruzeta in the first half (16′).
