La Liga: Kylian Mbappe double at Villarreal takes ‘exhausted’ Real Madrid top

Trending

Mumbai Indians

The Hundred Draft

Neeraj Chopra

Varun Chakaravarthy

Lakshya Sen

David Warner

Dinesh Karthik

PR Sreejesh

MS Dhoni

WPL Final Toss

Mumbai Indians

The Hundred Draft

Neeraj Chopra

Varun Chakaravarthy

Lakshya Sen

David Warner

Dinesh Karthik

PR Sreejesh

MS Dhoni

WPL Final Toss

Mumbai Indians

The Hundred Draft

Neeraj Chopra

Varun Chakaravarthy

Lakshya Sen

David Warner

Dinesh Karthik

PR Sreejesh

MS Dhoni

WPL Final Toss

AA

+Text Size

  • Small
  • Medium
  • Large

Kylian Mbappe’s double secured a 2-1 victory for Real Madrid over Villarreal, propelling them to the top of La Liga. Despite fatigue concerns following their Champions League match against Atletico Madrid, Madrid displayed resilience and character to seal the win, with Mbappe now close behind the top scorer, Robert Lewandowski.

Real Madrid secured a 2-1 victory against Villarreal at Estadio de la Ceramica, with Kylian Mbappe scoring twice to push his team to the top of La Liga standings.

The win placed Real Madrid three points ahead of Barcelona, who have two games in hand and face third-placed Atletico Madrid on Sunday in a crucial championship match.

Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!

Real Madrid expressed dissatisfaction about playing less than 72 hours after their Champions League penalty shootout victory against Atletico on Wednesday.

“The team has something special, character, commitment,” Ancelotti told reporters, insisting Madrid would refuse to play without “72 hours of rest” between matches as recommended by world football governing body FIFA.

Despite their fatigue concerns, Real Madrid managed to overcome fifth-placed Villarreal.

“We kept going on a physical level, above all in the second half, the team ended up exhausted, but that was to be expected,” said Ancelotti. “It’s a win that says a lot about this team and the ability this squad has.”

Carlo Ancelotti rested Vinicius Junior following the demanding Champions League match against Atletico.

Villarreal started strongly with Ayoze Perez’s shot being saved by Thibaut Courtois, before Juan Foyth scored from the resulting corner to give them the lead.

Madrid responded quickly through Mbappe, who scored after Diego Conde saved Brahim Diaz’s attempted lob.

Mbappe then secured his second goal after combining with Lucas Vazquez, bringing his season total to 20 league goals, just one behind Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski.

Real Madrid defended their lead for the remainder of the first half, with Courtois making a crucial save from Nicolas Pepe.

Villarreal made tactical changes at halftime, bringing on Thierno Barry for Pepe as they sought to maintain their strong home record against Madrid.

Juan Foyth missed an opportunity to equalize early in the second half.

‘A football fan’

“The start wasn’t the best but that’s normal with little rest that it’s hard on the legs, but then we came back quickly, we defended well, we were very tired but the commitment we showed was important,” Courtois told Real Madrid TV.

Ancelotti brought on Vinicius and Luka Modric to strengthen Madrid’s control, while both teams created chances through Fede Valverde and Ayoze Perez.

“Tomorrow I will be a football fan, and nothing more,” said Ancelotti, referring to the upcoming match between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

In other La Liga matches, Mallorca defeated Espanyol 2-1 with Vedat Muriqi scoring a decisive penalty, while Celta Vigo secured a 1-0 win against bottom-placed Valladolid.

Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, and live scores for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Find out how to watch IPL 2025 in Canada and the USA.

TOI Sports Desk

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects. We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.Read More

End of Article

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Previous

Nora Fatehi slays NYC streets in a stunning pink mini dress

Entertainment

Magical phrases for kids who give up easily

Lifestyle

Bhumi Pednekar stuns in lehengas inspiring wedding style

Entertainment

Samantha Ruth Prabhu exudes confidence in a golden dress

Entertainment

Mrunal Thakur makes a statement in chic black outfits

Entertainment

7 detox drinks for 7 days of the week to lose weight post Holi

Food

South actresses’ best pictures of the week

Entertainment

Palak Tiwari to Shraddha Kapoor: Trending pastel sarees for summers

Lifestyle

Manasi Parekh exudes elegance in a mesmerizing emerald draped gown

Entertainment

Next

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3

Magnesium doesn’t work alone: Foods that you need to pair it with

For the love of Krishna: Black woman stuns in red Banarsi saree as she embraces Hindu wedding rituals

7 detox tips that will keep our kidneys and liver healthy

Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah’s Gogi aka Samay Shah on the debate between old vs new episodes: I disagree with people, I believe the characters still have the same innocence

​Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah fans have a wild theory on why Dayaben won’t return; Netizens write ‘It will be the darkest twist in tmkoc history’​

7 vitamin-D rich foods for vegetarians

Celebrity Masterchef: Hina Khan gets emotional as she talks about beau Rocky Jaiswal’s support in her breast cancer journey; says ‘He applies balm on those scars, he never cries in front of me’

7 effective ways to boost self-confidence, as per psychology

Sakshi Pant’s wedding: MS Dhoni’s wife Sakshi Dhoni stuns in a Pahadi bride-inspired look with traditional pichora

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3

Neymar

ICC Womens WC Qualifier 2025

Pep Guardiola

Sanju Samson

Iga Swiatek

AB DE Villiers

NBA Offseason Rumors

Pakistan Train

Wayne Gretzkys Daughter

Wayne Gretzky

Pat Mcafee

IPL Full Schedule

Fred Warner Wife

Christian Mccaffrey Wife

Pakistan Train Hijack

Most Underrated Valorant Gun Skins

Tired of too many ads?go ad free now

In Sports

Entire Website

Tired of too many ads?go ad free now

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *