Real Madrid ends the year on top with victory over Alavés

MADRID.- Lucas Vazquez sent a header into the nets as time expired for the real Madrid will conclude 2023 with a 1-0 victory against the Alavés on Thursday and went into recess for the end-of-year festivities as leader of the Spanish League.

Vázquez created one of the few Merengue options after finishing off a corner kick from Toni Krooswhich hit the ball into the goal in the second minute of stoppage time.

The meringues assumed the lead by having 45 units, the same as the Girona, that hours before he equaled 1-1 on visit with the Betis. The meringues are leaders by tiebreaker criteria.

He Barcelona, that he won with difficulty on Wednesday Almeria, 3rd gear with 38 points, while the Atlético de Madrid He has 35 in 4th position, although on Saturday he will resolve a pending duel with the Seville.

He Alavés He stagnated in 16th position with 16 units.

“The match was complicated and with one less everyone was thinking that it could be the day they punctured, but this team has unknown energies“We held on well, defended very well and in the end we were rewarded,” said the Merengue strategist. Carlo Ancelotti.

The last game of the year was a challenge for the whites, who from the 54th minute faced the duel with 10 players after the defender was sent off. Nacho Fernandezafter the intervention of video referee (VAR) to assess a foul he committed in midfield.

Madrid barely generated any chances to open the scoring with half a dozen shots, the most notable being a long-range shot from Federico Valverde in the first half and an incursion into the area Rodrygo Goes in the complement.

Vázquez is replacing the injured man Dani Carvajal for a couple of weeks now; In the final seconds she celebrated her first goal of the season.

Moment of tension for Real Madrid:

For Madrid, not everything was happiness. In the last moments, Rodrygo He left the field with medical support due to an ankle injury.

On the previous day the whites lost their defender for the rest of the season David Alaba due to a rupture of the crossed tendon in the left knee.

FOUNTAIN: AP