Real Madrid vs Leganes Review
Real Madrid matched Barcelona’s points at the top of La Liga after coming back from a halftime deficit to defeat Leganés 3-2, extending their unbeaten streak at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu to eight league games. Luka Modrić was the first to test the goalkeeper, Marko Dmitrović, with a shot from a tight angle. Later, Modrić received a pass from Jude Bellingham at the edge of the box, but Sergio González managed to head his attempt away. Kylian Mbappé also faced Dmitrović, but the Serbian goalkeeper was caught off guard when Mbappé scored a chip shot from the penalty spot after Arda Güler was brought down by Óscar Rodríguez in the box.
However, that initial goal was quickly canceled out by Leganés just under two minutes later, as Valentin Rosier charged down the right flank to find Óscar, who set up Diego García for an easy tap-in. The Bernabéu, which had only a few away supporters present, fell silent in shock, which soon turned to groans as the visitors unexpectedly took the lead. Trying to make amends for his earlier penalty mistake, Óscar was instrumental again, maneuvering past Raúl Asencio and passing the ball back to Dani Raba, who scored without hesitation.
However, Los Pepineros couldn’t maintain their lead for even two minutes after the second half began, as Bellingham scored on the rebound after Renato Tapia deflected Brahim Díaz’s initial shot onto the crossbar. Brahim then hit the post, but the home team had to wait until the final 15 minutes to regain the lead. Bellingham earned a free-kick from Tapia at the edge of the box, and Mbappé skillfully curled the ball around the wall into the bottom corner. Although it was set up by Fran García, this was notably the first direct free-kick goal of the Frenchman’s career.
This victory allows Los Blancos to level with Barcelona at the top of the standings, although the gap could return to three points if the Blaugrana win against Girona on Sunday. This sets the stage for May’s Clásico to potentially be one of the most crucial in recent times, while Leganés has nine critical matches ahead in their fight to avoid relegation.
