Real Madrid Return to Top of LaLiga with Convincing Win

Kylian Mbappe scored twice as Real Madrid cruised to a 4-1 victory over Las Palmas, reclaiming top spot in LaLiga and extending their dominance over the visitors.

Real Madrid bounced back from an early setback to convincingly defeat Las Palmas 4-1, maintaining the visitors' winless record in away LaLiga meetings against Los Blancos, which now stands at 36 attempts. With the opportunity to claim top spot in the table, Real Madrid was well aware of the importance of securing a win.

The match got off to a shocking start for Real Madrid, as Fabio Silva scored for Las Palmas just 28 seconds into the game, capitalizing on a clever run behind Lucas Vazquez to turn home Sandro Ramirez's precise cross. The Estadio Santiago Bernabeu crowd was left stunned, and things could have gotten worse for Real Madrid when Brahim Diaz squandered a golden opportunity. Additionally, Kylian Mbappe's deflected attempt was tipped behind via the post by Jasper Cillessen, further emphasizing the sense of disbelief among the home supporters.

Real Madrid's fortunes began to shift when Sandro Ramirez, who had assisted the opening goal, inadvertently provided the hosts with a chance to equalize. Sandro's clumsy challenge on Rodrygo resulted in a penalty, which Mbappe calmly converted by sending Cillessen the wrong way.

As the match progressed, Real Madrid asserted their dominance, dictating possession and applying relentless pressure on the Las Palmas defense. Brahim Diaz saw a deflected attempt saved, while Jasper Cillessen produced a string of impressive saves to deny Kylian Mbappe and Rodrygo, palm-ing away their threatening attempts.

Despite Cillessen's valiant efforts, he was eventually beaten in the 33rd minute. After saving another attempt from Mbappe, the rebound fell to Lucas Vazquez, who squared the ball for Brahim Diaz to score. Just three minutes later, Mbappe doubled his tally with a clinical first-time finish, expertly converting Rodrygo's bouncing pass. Mbappe thought he had completed a first-half hat-trick, but his goal was disallowed due to an offside call. He came agonizingly close to scoring again soon after.

The second half saw Mbappe continue to be at the forefront of Real Madrid's attacking endeavors. He played a pivotal role in the build-up to his team's fourth goal, which was scored by Rodrygo. Fran Garcia cut the ball back to Rodrygo, who placed his shot in the bottom corner, sealing a convincing 4-1 victory for Real Madrid.

Las Palmas' dismal evening took a further turn for the worse in the 64th minute, when half-time substitute Benito Ramirez was sent off. Ramirez's reckless challenge on Lucas Vazquez, catching him high with his studs, left the referee with no choice but to issue a red card.

Real Madrid's victory had long been secured, but they continued to push for more goals. In the 74th minute, Jude Bellingham thought he had added his name to the scoresheet, only for his goal to be disallowed due to Antonio Rudiger being offside before challenging for Rodrygo's free-kick delivery. Despite this, Real Madrid's dominance was evident, and they even had time to score a sixth goal, only for Federico Valverde's 88th-minute effort to be denied by yet another offside call.

And just like that, Real Madrid go top of the LALIGA table 👀 pic.twitter.com/yq7expe32X

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 19, 2025

The evening was not without its positives for Real Madrid, as David Alaba made a triumphant return to action after 399 days out injured, receiving a rapturous applause from the crowd. With this win, Los Blancos have reclaimed top spot in LaLiga, surpassing city rivals Atletico Madrid. In contrast, Las Palmas have suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time under Diego Martínez and find themselves just three points above the relegation zone.