Kylian Mbappe found the net for the fourth consecutive game, helping Real Madrid secure a 3-2 victory over Alaves in La Liga on Tuesday.
With this win, Madrid, currently in second place, narrowed the gap to one point behind Barcelona, who are set to face Getafe on Wednesday.
The match started strong for Real Madrid, with Lucas Vazquez, Mbappe, and Rodrygo scoring before Alaves made a late push that caused some tension for Carlo Ancelotti's team.
In the dying moments, Carlos Protesoni and Kike Garcia struck twice within two minutes, but Madrid managed to hold onto their lead.
"This is football, you can think the game has finished, (then there's) a small slip and they score the first, they get confidence and you lose it, this is what happens," Ancelotti told reporters. "Obviously we don't want this to happen, but it can. We have to highlight that for an hour the team played well and that gives us confidence."
From the outset, Los Blancos dominated the match, overpowering Alaves, who had started the season strongly. Ancelotti made changes to the lineup, bringing Vinicius Junior back and giving Vazquez a rare start, which paid off immediately. In the first minute, the Brazilian winger cut the ball back for a simple finish from Vazquez.
Ancelotti emphasized the need for more intensity at the start of matches, as Madrid had only scored one first-half goal this season in La Liga and the Champions League. The players responded by controlling the game early on, with Alaves struggling to penetrate Thibaut Courtois' penalty box.
Despite Madrid's dominance, their second goal came just five minutes before halftime. Mbappe and Jude Bellingham combined effectively, with Mbappe executing a clever flick to set up Bellingham, who returned the ball for Mbappe to finish clinically, marking his fifth league goal.
Rodrygo extended the lead shortly after the break, firing through Alaves goalkeeper Antonio Sivera's legs. Alaves had a couple of chances of their own, with teenage Brazilian striker Endrick hitting the post and Abde Rebbach also striking the woodwork during a rare attacking phase.
Endrick, 18, faced potential dismissal for a kick at Alaves defender Santiago Mourino but avoided punishment. Mbappe was substituted in the 80th minute, showing signs of discomfort and holding the back of his thigh.
"He's fine, he's fine, a little overloaded, he asked me for the change to avoid problems," Ancelotti explained.
Alaves pulled one back in the 85th minute when Protesoni curled a well-placed shot from the edge of the box into the net. He then assisted Kike Garcia with a precise ball over the top, which Garcia converted, leaving Madrid in a precarious position.
Despite the late scare, Madrid secured their victory, marking their 39th consecutive league match unbeaten in Ancelotti's 300th game at the club, across two separate spells. They will face Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano Stadium on Sunday, the site of their last top-flight defeat a year ago.
"I'm happy for the win," Vazquez told Real Madrid TV. "I think we had a great game until the 80th minute, when two mistakes cost us two goals against us, and we had to suffer more than we should have. With the game that we played, we didn't deserve that ending."
Tempers flared at full time as Ancelotti confronted the referee, expressing dissatisfaction over the bookings of several of his players while some tough challenges from Alaves went unpunished.
"Fair or unfair, we have to adapt to the new rules," a calmer Ancelotti remarked later, acknowledging the protests from his players.
Alaves coach Luis Garcia Plaza also expressed frustration, particularly regarding Endrick’s incident, stating, "The Endrick incident should have been a red card, we should have played the last 10 minutes with an extra player. It's red, there's nothing more to it, I won't speak more about this topic."
In other fixtures, Diego Simeone's Atletico will visit Celta Vigo on Thursday.
