Mbappé Scores Twice to Give Real
Madrid 2-1 Win against Villarreal in LaLiga

Villarreal, 16 Mar (ONA) — Kylian
Mbappé scored twice to lead Real Madrid to a 2-1 comeback win at Villarreal and
move three points clear atop the Spanish league.

Mbappé scored in the 17th minute to
cancel out Juan Foyth’s opener for the hosts before the France striker put
Madrid ahead for good six minutes later.

Long gone are the scoring troubles
Mbappé endured in his first months at Madrid. His brace at Villarreal took
Mbappe’s La Liga tally to 20 goals, only one fewer than Barcelona’s Robert
Lewandowski. He has 31 goals across all competitions since joining from Paris
Saint-Germain last summer, the Spanish MARCA newspaper reported.

Barcelona is three points behind
Madrid, but has played two games less. Hansi Flick’s side tonight visits
third-placed Atletico Madrid, which is four points back. It also has a
postponed game versus Osasuna still to be played.

Villarreal made it a pulsating game
as it attacked in waves with Alex Baena and Nicolas Pepe helping create a
series of chances. Thibaut Courtois made three good stops for Madrid to deny
Pepe, Ayoze Pérez, and Pape Gueye in the first half.

But Villarreal paid at the other end
where Mbappé ruthlessly exploited the holes in the Yellow Submarine’s defense.

Carlo Ancelotti left Vinícius Júnior
and Antonio Rudiger on the bench until the final half hour – with Luka Modric
going on shortly after – as the Madrid coach rotated his lineup three days
after its gruelling UEFA Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid that
went to a penalty shootout.

— Ends/Khalid