Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior found the net as Real Madrid battled past Rayo Vallecano with a 2-1 victory on Sunday, pulling level on points with La Liga leaders Barcelona.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side moved a point ahead of Atletico Madrid, who suffered a surprise 2-1 loss to Getafe earlier in the day. Meanwhile, Barcelona’s weekend fixture was postponed following the passing of a club doctor.
With a massive Champions League showdown against Atletico Madrid looming on Wednesday, Ancelotti rotated his squad, welcoming Jude Bellingham back from suspension but resting Thibaut Courtois and Antonio Rudiger due to minor issues. Both are expected to return for the European clash.
Despite missing key players, Rayo Vallecano put up a fight, but Madrid’s attacking firepower proved too much. Vinicius came close early on, striking the post after a brilliant setup from Rodrygo. However, the breakthrough came in the 30th minute when Vinicius set up Mbappe, who cut inside and fired past the goalkeeper to end his two-game scoring drought.
Four minutes later, Vinicius doubled the lead with a dazzling solo effort, using stepovers to outfox Andrei Ratiu before slotting home. Mbappe had a golden opportunity to put the game to bed but opted to shoot instead of passing to an open Vinicius, allowing Rayo keeper Augusto Batalla to make a crucial save.
Rayo found a lifeline in first-half stoppage time when Unai López smashed a stunning strike off the crossbar and over the line, confirmed after a VAR review.
Madrid had further chances in the second half, but wastefulness in the final third—particularly from Mbappe and Vinicius—kept the visitors in the contest. Ancelotti eventually withdrew Rodrygo, Mbappe, and Bellingham to keep them fresh for the Champions League showdown.
The win marked Madrid’s second victory in their last six league matches, reinforcing their title push as the season heats up.
