Real Madrid on Thursday scored a late goal after a lackluster performance to return to the top of La Liga.
Lucas Vazquez scored with a header in stoppage-time as Madrid pulled off a 1-0 win on the road against Deportivo Alaves to reclaim first place after Girona conceded a late equalizer in their 1-1 draw at Real Betis Balompie earlier.
Real Madrid and Girona are tied on 45 points, but Madrid are ahead on the tiebreaker. Defending champions Barcelona are third, seven points off the lead.
Photo: AFP
Madrid got the late win despite playing with 10 men from the 54th minute after centerback Nacho Fernandez was sent off with a straight red card.
“It was a complicated match and with a player down everybody thought that maybe today we were going to lose, but this team finds energy out of nowhere. We held tough and in the end we got rewarded,” Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said.
Vazquez was left free inside the penalty area to score the winner with a header after a well-placed corner-kick by Toni Kroos.
Alaves coach Luis Garcia was livid by the bench after the goal, kicking objects, throwing his jacket, screaming and even grabbing a staff member by the jacket and shoving him back to his seat.
“We can’t let Lucas finish by himself like that,” he said. “You can’t let the game slip away from you like that, against 10 men, in the final minutes.”
Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo, the leaders of Real Madrid’s attack this season, were kept in check during most of the match in a poor performance by Ancelotti’s team at Mendizorroza Stadium.
Neither team was able to create many significant scoring chances.
Nacho was initially shown a yellow card after stepping on an opponent while going for the ball, but the video assistant referee determined that the defender deserved a straight red card.
After Nacho was sent off, Ancelotti was forced to replace Luka Modric with Aurelien Tchouameni, who went into Nacho’s position in the middle of the defense.
Real Madrid have conceded just 11 goals so far this season, the best mark among all Spanish clubs. They are unbeaten in their past 17 games in all competitions.
It was the third loss in a row for Alaves, which are in 16th place, three points clear of the relegation zone.
Earlier on Thursday, Girona opened the scoring with a penalty converted by Artem Dovbyk in the 39th minute, but the hosts equalized through German Pezzella in the 88th.
It was only the second time Girona failed to win in their past 12 matches in all competitions. They had won eight of their last nine league matches, including a 4-2 victory at Barcelona. A 3-0 loss to Real Madrid at home in September is their lone defeat so far this season.
They faced another tough test against Betis, who are fighting for the European places and are yet to lose at home in the league.
“This goal in the end is very upsetting, we thought we had it won, but we have to value this point, they pressure a lot here. We have to maintain this dynamic and recharge our batteries for what’s ahead,” Girona captain Aleix Garcia said.
Sixth-placed Real Sociedad could not manage more than a 0-0 draw at relegation-threatened Cadiz.
The hosts are in 17th place, just outside the relegation zone, and have not won in 16 consecutive matches in all competitions.
Sociedad are now winless in three straight games.
RCD Mallorca came from behind to defeat CA Osasuna 3-1 at home.
It was the second win in the past three league matches for Mallorca, who moved up to 14th place.
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