Real Madrid secured a routine victory over Alavés at the iconic Santiago Bernabéu, yet the atmosphere told a very different story. Goals from Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior came without celebration—both stars pointedly refusing to mark their strikes, a gesture that felt more like an apology to the fans after a season that has fallen short of expectations.

The reaction from the stands was equally restrained, at times turning into audible frustration. Sections of the crowd voiced their discontent, with Eduardo Camavinga and Carreras among those singled out during difficult spells of the match.

There was further concern for Real Madrid when Eder Militao was forced off before half-time with yet another injury setback, casting a shadow over an otherwise controlled performance. Despite their inconsistencies, the hosts largely dictated the tempo.

Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring thanks to a deflection that wrong-footed the goalkeeper, while Vinicius Junior added a second after the break with a stunning long-range effort. Alavés, however, showed resilience—striking the woodwork twice and eventually pulling one back late on through Toni Martinez, testing Ukrainian goalkeeper Andriy Lunin.

2025-26, Spain - La Liga

Real - Deportivo Alaves 2:1 (1:0)
Goals: Mbappé, 30 (1:0); Vinícius Júnior, 50 (2:0)

Real: Lunin Andriy; Militão (Rudiger, 45); Alexander-Arnold (Carvajal, 63); Carreras; Huijsen; Tchouaméni (Camavinga, 63); Güler A. (Mastantuono, 58); Bellingham (Diaz Br., 58); Valverde F.; Vinícius Júnior; Mbappé
Substitution: Rudiger (from 45); Diaz Br. (from 58); Mastantuono (from 58); Carvajal (from 63); Camavinga (from 63)
Bench: Mestre; Alaba; García Fr.; Mendy Fe.; García G.; Dani Ceballos; Pitarch
Yellow Cards: Tchouaméni 35

Deportivo Alaves: Sivera; Enriquez You. (Calebe, 66); Tenaglia; Otto; Parada; Blanco An. (Guevara, 75); Guridi (Aleñá, 58); Denis Suarez (Ibáñez P., 58); Hidalgo; Toni Martínez; Boyé (Diabate, 66)
Substitution: Aleñá (from 58); Ibáñez P. (from 58); Calebe (from 66); Diabate (from 66); Guevara (from 75)
Bench: Raul Fernandez; Pacheco J.; Koski; Diaz; Mañas A.