Real Madrid vs Alaves Review
Lucas Vázquez scored the quickest goal of the La Liga season as Real Madrid held off a late rally to defeat Alavés 3-2 at the Santiago Bernabéu, marking Carlo Ancelotti’s 300th match as manager. Surprisingly, Real Madrid fielded a full-strength team despite the upcoming Madrid derby on Sunday.
The 36-time La Liga champions took control of the match in under a minute. Vinícius Júnior made a run to the byline and delivered a perfect cutback for Vázquez, who finished the chance. With just 55 seconds gone, it marked Real’s fastest goal in over six years, since Vázquez scored after 49 seconds against Real Sociedad in February 2018.
By the time Kylian Mbappé scored Madrid’s second goal with five minutes remaining in the first half, he had already seen one goal ruled out. The French star capped off a stunning 26-pass sequence with a brilliant finish. After executing a clever flick to Jude Bellingham, Mbappé received the ball back from his English teammate, quickly dodged the Alavés defense with a shoulder dip, and shot past Antonio Sivera.
Unlike the first half, the home team started slowly in the second, taking three minutes to net their third goal. Rodrygo, with limited options in front of him, seized a loose ball just inside the Alavés half. The Brazilian showcased his speed and agility, slipping past two defenders and firing the ball low through Sivera’s legs.
With the victory seemingly assured, Ancelotti took the opportunity to rest important players and gave Endrick a 20-minute chance to enhance his growing reputation. The young Brazilian responded by fending off two defenders and hitting a powerful shot against the post. However, this was the last moment of ease for Madrid, as two late goals from Alavés shocked the Bernabéu.
First, Carlos Protesoni scored from the edge of the box, which initially seemed like a mere consolation, but Kike García’s clever finish just two minutes later made a surprising comeback seem possible. With six minutes of added time, the Basque team’s hopes were still alive, but the home side ultimately secured another victory, extending their unbeaten streak in the league to 39 games and keeping pace with early-season leaders Barcelona.