Real Madrid moved level on points with La Liga leaders Barcelona after securing a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano.
The win was marked by two goals in four minutes during the first half, courtesy of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr.
Mbappe’s opener saw him cut inside and slot the ball into the bottom corner, while Vinicius Jr’s near-identical finish was slightly deflected off visiting defender Andrei Ratiu.
Rayo Vallecano managed to halve the deficit in first-half stoppage time through Pedro Diaz’s first goal for the club, which fired in off the crossbar.
The match saw Jude Bellingham return from a two-game La Liga suspension, but he was withdrawn late on after falling awkwardly.
The result keeps Barcelona at the top of the table with a game in hand, while Real Madrid sit second on goal difference.
Real Madrid’s focus now shifts to their Champions League last-16 encounter against city rivals Atletico Madrid on Wednesday. Atletico, meanwhile, suffered a surprise 2-1 defeat at Getafe earlier on Sunday, squandering the chance to go top of La Liga.
