Daijiworld Media Network - Madrid
Madrid, Dec 15: Real Madrid tightened the La Liga title race with a 2-1 win over Alaves, cutting the gap to leaders FC Barcelona to four points.
Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring in the 24th minute with a precise finish into the top corner after a dynamic run. Despite a crucial save from Thibaut Courtois just before halftime, Carlos Vicente equalized for Alaves in the 68th minute following a VAR review that overturned an offside call. Rodrygo restored Madrid’s lead in the 76th minute with support from Vinicius Jr but later left the field due to a calf injury.
Barcelona maintained their lead in the table with a 2-0 victory over Osasuna at Camp Nou, as Raphinha scored both goals in the final 20 minutes—first from outside the box and then from close range in the 86th minute.
Sevilla dominated struggling Oviedo 4-0, extending the latter’s winless streak to eight games. Early strikes from Akor Adams and Djibril Sow put the result beyond doubt by the 22nd minute, with Batista Mendy and Chidera Ejuke adding further goals. Oviedo’s woes were compounded by David Carmo’s red card in the 82nd minute, and the club later dismissed coach Luis Carrion.
Celta Vigo earned their first home league victory of the season, defeating Athletic Bilbao 2-0 thanks to goals from Williot Swedberg and Jones El-Abdellaoui in the 48th and 55th minutes, while Athletic’s Nico Williams missed a penalty.
Meanwhile, the Levante vs Villarreal match scheduled for Sunday was postponed due to a red alert for heavy rainfall in the Valencia region.