La Liga Roundup: Mbappe sent off in first half but Real Madrid beats Alaves

MADRID — Real Madrid overcame Kylian Mbappé’s red card for a reckless tackle in the first half to win 1-0 at Alaves and get back within four points of Spanish league leader Barcelona on Sunday.

Mbappé was sent off shortly before the break after coming in hard for a challenge on Antonio Blanco. He came flying in with his studs up and hit the side of the leg of Alaves midfielder Antonio Blanco. 

The France star was initially shown a yellow card but the referee changed it to a red after video review.

Mbappé hadn’t seen a red card since 2019 while still playing for Paris Saint-Germain. He will miss at least the Spanish league game at Athletic Bilbao next Sunday.

“Kylian is not violent, he has apologized,” said Madrid assistant coach Davide Ancelotti, who was in charge on the bench because of a yellow-card suspension for his father, Carlo Ancelotti, who watched from the stands.

“He knows what he has done,” Davide Ancelotti said. “It’s a clear red-card foul and he paid for it.” 

Alaves also played with 10 men from the 70th minute after Manu Sánchez was sent off for a foul on Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior.

Eduardo Camavinga scored Madrid’s winner with a shot from outside the area in the 34th. He hadn’t scored a goal since a Copa del Rey match in January.

Barcelona had increased its lead over Madrid with a 1-0 win at Leganes on Saturday.

The victory snapped Madrid’s three-game winless streak in all competitions, a run that included Tuesday’s 3-0 loss at Arsenal in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.

Carlo Ancelotti rested some of his regular starters ahead of next week’s second leg in the Spanish capital.

Alaves, which has only two wins in its last 11 league games, stayed in 17th place, just outside the relegation zone.

The match was briefly interrupted in the 70th because of fans’ “die” chants against Madrid defender Raúl Asencio. 

Osasuna wins again

Osasuna beat Girona 2-1 to move to 12th place and end a three-game losing streak against the Catalan club in the league. It hadn’t won in nine matches in all competitions.

Girona, which had two goals disallowed, hasn’t won in nine straight league matches, with six losses and three draws. It sits in 16th place.

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