Real secures narrow victory over Alaves as four players stand out

Real Madrid secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Alaves, keeping themselves in the title race and preventing further ground loss to Barcelona. Xabi Alonso fielded an experimental lineup for the match; however, the team showed inconsistency in delivering championship-level performance.

The Madrid lineup was notably unconventional: Federico Valverde, Kylian Mbappe, and Antonio Rudiger played despite not fully recovering from their injuries. Valverde made an unusual appearance as a right-back, a position not ideal for him.

On the left side of the defense, debutant young Victor Valdepenas took the field. The scoring opened in the 24th minute, thanks to a goal from Mbappe.

Alaves equalized in the 68th minute through Carlos Vicente, but the decisive strike came in the 76th minute when Rodrygo scored the winning goal, giving Real Madrid three crucial points. Four players from Real particularly stood out in this match.

Thibaut Courtois. Against the backdrop of an experimental defensive line, Courtois proved to be the most reliable anchor.

He covered for defensive lapses, read dangerous situations inside the penalty area in a timely manner, and saved the team on crucial occasions. One remarkable moment highlighted his performance when he made a face-first save to deny a goal.

Without Courtois, Alaves might have scored more and earlier. Jude Bellingham.

The English midfielder did an outstanding job in the central area: he was proactive in pressing, accelerated attacks, and caused trouble for opponents with dangerous passes and moves along the left flank. He won 9 out of 14 duels and regained possession four times against Alaves’ compact midfield.

The attack that resulted in Mbappe's goal started with a decisive pass from Bellingham. Additionally, he came close to scoring from a corner but missed the chance due to an awkward deflection.

Kylian Mbappe. His high rating is well deserved, as he was the player who opened the scoring.

In the first 30 minutes, Mbappe appeared "unstoppable" for the opposing defense, creating several scoring opportunities and netting one on his second attempt. Over the course of the game, he executed three successful dribbles and showed resilience in duels.

However, his intensity dropped in the second half, likely due to his incomplete recovery from injury. Rodrygo.

The Brazilian forward scored for the second consecutive game, showing growing confidence. Most importantly, his goal today was the match-winner.

Rodrygo played with great enthusiasm: he was visible in both attack and defense, actively covering both wings. His determination and willingness to add sharpness in critical moments were evident.

Rodrygo was widely recognized as the best player of the match for his performance. Read “Zamin” on Telegram!