Real Madrid bounced back in style from their derby disappointment against Atletico Madrid with a 3-1 win over Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday. The victory, powered by a Vinicius Junior brace and a late strike from Kylian Mbappé, sent Los Blancos back to the top of the La Liga standings.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side endured a frustrating opening 45 minutes, with the home fans making their displeasure known as Real struggled to break down Villarreal’s compact defense. Despite dominating possession, Madrid failed to create clear-cut chances and went into the break goalless.
It took Vinicius just 90 seconds after the restart to change the game. The Brazilian forward latched onto a clever flick from Mbappé, cut inside from the left, and fired a shot that deflected off Santi Comesana before beating Villarreal goalkeeper Arnau Tenas at the near post.
Vinicius continued to torment Villarreal’s defense and doubled his tally in the 69th minute. After being brought down inside the box by Rafa Marin, he calmly converted the resulting penalty, squeezing the ball past Tenas to put Real 2-0 ahead.
The visitors, however, refused to back down. Just minutes after Jude Bellingham—introduced from the bench—was denied in a one-on-one situation, Georgia striker Georges Mikautadze pulled one back for Villarreal with a thunderous strike past Thibaut Courtois.
Villarreal’s hopes of a comeback were dashed when Santiago Mourino received a second yellow card for a foul on Vinicius. Real immediately capitalized on the man advantage, with Brahim Díaz unselfishly setting up Mbappé, who slotted home Madrid’s third goal.
The joy was tempered slightly as Mbappé limped off with what appeared to be a foot injury moments later. Fans will be eagerly awaiting updates on his condition.
With the victory, Real Madrid climbed to 21 points after eight games, two ahead of rivals Barcelona, who face Sevilla on Sunday. Villarreal remain third with 16 points.
Vinícius Júnior (Rating: 8.88) – The Brazilian was at his dazzling best, scoring twice and earning a standing ovation for his game-changing performance.
✅ Takeaway: Real Madrid showed resilience after last week’s setback, with Vinicius Junior once again proving his importance. While the win restores confidence, all eyes will be on Mbappé’s injury update in the coming days.
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