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Real Madrid returned to winning ways in La Liga in impressive fashion on Saturday, beating Rayo Vallecano 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu as Kylian Mbappé once again took centre stage.
The French forward scored twice and provided an assist, while Álvaro Carreras and Jude Bellingham also got on the scoresheet as José Mourinho’s side produced a strong attacking display. The victory moved Real Madrid to 12 points, level with Barcelona at the top of the table, although Barcelona still have a game in hand.
Real Madrid wasted little time putting Rayo under pressure, and the breakthrough came in the 14th minute. Álvaro Carreras was brought down inside the penalty area by Florian Lejeune, giving Madrid the opportunity to take the lead from the spot.
Mbappé stepped forward and calmly converted the penalty to make it 1-0. It was another composed finish from the Frenchman, who has quickly established himself as the main attacking threat for Madrid this season.
Only three minutes later, Mbappé turned from scorer to provider. The forward combined brilliantly with Carreras before the Madrid left-back fired the ball into the net in the 17th minute to double the home side’s advantage.
Rayo tried to respond, but Madrid continued to look dangerous whenever they moved forward. Vinícius Júnior was heavily involved in the attacking play and eventually played a decisive role in Madrid’s third goal.
In the 35th minute, Vinícius supplied the assist for Jude Bellingham, who finished the move to put Real Madrid 3-0 ahead before half-time. With three goals inside the opening 35 minutes, the hosts appeared to have the match under complete control.
However, Rayo Vallecano returned from the break with a different level of determination and managed to give the home supporters something to worry about.
Sergio Camello pulled one back in the 51st minute after Madrid’s defence failed to deal properly with the situation. The goal reduced the deficit to 3-1 and briefly gave Rayo hope of producing an unlikely comeback.
For a period, the visitors looked capable of making the final stages uncomfortable for Madrid. Real Madrid were not as sharp as they had been in the opening half, while Rayo continued to search for another opening.
Thibaut Courtois was also called upon to protect Madrid’s advantage, making important interventions as Rayo looked for a second goal.
Madrid eventually settled the contest in the 90th minute when Mbappé completed his brace. Arda Güler, who had come off the bench, provided the assist before Mbappé produced a powerful finish to make it 4-1.
The second goal capped another impressive individual performance from the French striker, who finished the night with two goals and an assist.
The result also underlined Madrid’s attacking depth, with four different players contributing to the scoreline and Vinícius, Mbappé and Güler all playing important roles in the decisive moments.
For Rayo, the scoreline was harsh considering the fight they showed after the break, but Madrid’s quality in front of goal ultimately proved too much.
Real Madrid now move on with another three points in the bag and renewed confidence after their previous league setback. Mourinho’s team showed both their attacking quality and their ability to withstand pressure, although the second-half lapse that allowed Rayo to score will be something the manager will want to address.
For Mbappé, however, it was another memorable night at the Bernabéu. Two goals and an assist gave him the final say as Real Madrid secured a convincing 4-1 victory and kept themselves firmly in the early La Liga title race.
