Khaberni - The French international striker Kylian Mbappé led his team, Real Madrid, to heal their continental wounds by scoring the hard-earned victory goal against their numerically depleted guest and neighbor, Rayo Vallecano, 2-1, on Sunday at the "Santiago Bernabeu" stadium, in round twenty-two of the Spanish football league, amidst jeers from the fans of the royal club.
Brazilian Vinicius Junior and Frenchman Kylian Mbappe scored for Real Madrid, and Jorge de Frutos scored for Rayo Vallecano, who played with nine men following the expulsion of the Senegalese Pathé Ciss and Pep Chavarría
This marks the sixth consecutive win and seventeenth in La Liga for Real, raising their total to 54 points in second place, and narrowing the gap to just one point between them and their traditional rival Barcelona, the league leader who won against Elche 3-1 on Saturday.
The royal club's players were met with jeers from their fans for most of the match as an expression of their dissatisfaction with the team's fluctuating performance, especially after their humiliating defeat to their host Benfica 4-2 in Lisbon in the final eighth round of the Champions League, forcing them to participate in the playoffs instead of direct qualification to the knockout stage, for the second consecutive season.
The playoffs draw has put the royal club in a new confrontation with Benfica and their former coach Jose Mourinho, and if qualified, they will set up a fiery date with Manchester City.
Real Madrid struggled for most of the match and awaited the ninth last minute of stoppage time to earn a penalty that settled the score thanks to their league's top scorer Mbappe, who increased his tally to 22 goals, including 8 from penalties.
Recently loaned from Villareal to Rayo Vallecano, Moroccan international Elias Akhomach was close to opening the score with a powerful shot from a close range that passed next to the left post.
Vinicius gave Real Madrid the lead with a powerful right-footed shot from inside the box after a brilliant individual effort followed by a pass from Dias, which he placed into the far left corner of the Argentine goalkeeper Augusto Batalla.
Rayo Vallecano managed to level the score at the beginning of the second half through de Frutos with a powerful left-footed shot from close range following a header by Alvaro Garcia.
Belgian international goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois saved his goal from a certain score with his response to a breakaway by the Belgian Andre Ratio who dashed in a counter-attack from the midfield.
The crossbar denied Mbappe from scoring by returning his shot from inside the box after he received a ball from substitute Gonzalo Garcia, who dribbled past the goalkeeper who had left his goal.
Senegalese midfielder Pathé Ciss received a direct red card after a strong challenge on the left ankle of substitute Dani Ceballos.
Ceballos nearly did it with a powerful shot from outside the box that passed next to the left post, then the post denied a close-range header from another Frenchman, Eduardo Camavinga, and Batalla saved a powerful close-range shot from substitute Brazilian Rodrigo in two attempts.
Dias earned a penalty after being hit by the Senegalese Noble Mendy inside the box, which Mbappe struck to the right of Batalla.
Chavarria was sent off for receiving his second yellow card after he pushed Rodrigo onto one of the advertising boards.
