football: Mbappé wins it late for Real Madrid after Bellingham limps off
Kylian Mbappé stayed calm to roll home a 100th-minute penalty and secure for Real Madrid a 2-1 win over nine-man Rayo Vallecano on Sunday in a spicy La Liga derby. Los Blancos’ victory cut Barcelona’s lead back to one point at the top of the table after the Spanish champions beat Elche on Saturday.
Vinícius Júnior scored early on for Madrid after Jude Bellingham limped off with an apparent hamstring injury. Jorge de Frutos pulled Rayo level early in the second half, prompting visible anger from the Madrid fans at their team. Frustration was averted when Mbappé netted from the spot following Pathé Ciss’s red card at the death..
Madrid’s interim head coach, Álvaro Arbeloa, and Mbappé had begged fans to support the team after Real’s defeat at Benfica in midweek, but the Santiago Bernabéu crowd was in unforgiving mood.
The former Barcelona winger Ilias Akhomach fired narrowly wide early on – the atmosphere would have been further soured had his effort crept inside Thibaut Courtois’ post.
Madrid suffered an early setback as the England international Bellingham pulled up holding the back of his thigh, going off in agony.
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Jude Bellingham departed the field after just 10 minutes in agony and clutching his hamstring during Real Madrid’s 2-1 in over Rayo Vallecano. Photograph: JJ Guillen/EPA
Vinícius put the hosts ahead in the 15th minute, showing tidy footwork just inside the area before firing high over Augusto Batalla and into the net. Los Blancos were in charge but, despite taking the lead, their fans were not content and whistled the team in at the break.
They were even less impressed, minutes into the second half, when Rayo pulled level. Álvaro García nodded a cross down for De Frutos, a former Madrid youth player, to reach and drill home.
The visitors should have taken the lead after an hour when Andrei Ratiu ran through on goal with only Courtois to beat but the Belgian keeper made a superb save to deny him.
Mbappé came centimetres away from putting Madrid in front when Batalla rushed out of his goal, with the French forward knocking the ball around him but then hitting the bar from distance.
Rayo made life harder for themselves when the midfielder Ciss was sent off for an ugly foul on Madrid’s Dani Ceballos. Eduardo Camavinga headed against a post as Arbeloa’s side turned the screw, before nine minutes of stoppage time were added on.
With the clock ticking down, Madrid were awarded a penalty when Nobel Mendy clumsily fouled Brahim Díaz, and La Liga’s top scorer, Mbappé, dispatched it to snatch three points for his side. Rayo finished the match with nine men after Chavarría was shown a second yellow card for shoving Rodrygo.