Mbappé and Vinícius lift Real Madrid out of a 4-game slump with a 2-1 win over Alaves

MADRID: Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior each scored as Real Madrid ended a four-game winless streak by defeating Alaves 2-1 on Tuesday to move closer to Spanish league leader Barcelona.
The victory at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium left Madrid six points behind Barcelona, which hosts sixth-placed Celta Vigo on Wednesday.
It was Madrid’s first game since it was eliminated by Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Madrid lost 2-1 at home and 4-3 in Germany in the second leg. The team’s last two Spanish league matches had been a 1-1 home draw against Girona and a 2-1 loss at Mallorca.
“We have six games left,” Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa said.

“The goal is to win all of them, regardless of what happens. Every game counts.”
It was slow start for Madrid on Tuesday and the crowd at the Bernabeu looked anxious as Alaves had a few scoring chances early. Part of the fans jeered as the team struggled.

There were some boos after the final whistle as well after Alaves scored late.
Mbappé broke the deadlock in the 30th minute with a shot that deflected on an Alaves defender and fooled goalkeeper Antonio Sivera. Mbappé, the league’s leading scorer with 24 goals, hadn’t found the net in a league game since February.
Vinícius added to Madrid’s lead with a long-range strike in the 50th. The Brazil forward hadn’t scored in his last six games between club and country.

He was among the players jeered by some of the fans before and during the match. After scoring, he raised his hands in a gesture apparently apologizing to the fans, and there was some applause from the stands to the player.
“Vinicius puts in a tremendous effort, carrying the team on his shoulders,” Arbeloa said. “We can’t deny his attitude.