Real Madrid close gap on leaders Barcelona in La Liga

The victory lifted Real Madrid to 39 points in second place, compared with Barcelona’s 43, while Alavés remains on 18 points in twelfth position.

Mbappé shines on return

Coach Xabi Alonso’s team credited their victory to the returning French star Kylian Mbappé and Brazilian forward Rodrygo, who scored in the 24th and 76th minutes respectively. Carlos Vicente scored for Alavés in the 69th minute.

Mbappé increased his tally to 17 goals to top the La Liga scoring charts and has now scored 26 goals in 22 matches across all competitions this season.