7M - Real Madrid 2-1 Rayo Vallecano: Mbappe's Late Penalty Secures Victory

Real Madrid clinched a dramatic 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano, with Kylian Mbappe once again proving to be the hero for Los Blancos.

Mbappe scored a decisive penalty in the 100th minute on Sunday at Santiago Bernabeu, as the visitors finished the match with nine men. The France international maintained his composure in a tense city rivalry after Brahim Diaz won a last-minute spot-kick from Nobel Mendy.

The match saw Jorge de Frutos equalize Vinicius Junior's impressive opening goal. The encounter grew increasingly heated, culminating in Pathe Ciss receiving a red card with 10 minutes remaining. Pep Chavarria also faced dismissal late on, compounding Vallecano's challenges.

Jude Bellingham had to leave the pitch early due to a setback for Madrid. Vinicius opened the scoring just 15 minutes into the match, skillfully curling a shot into the top-right corner.

Tension escalated when De Frutos scored past Thibaut Courtois from Alvaro Garcia's setup. Vinicius also appealed for a penalty after a challenge from Florian Lejeune that went unacknowledged.

Although Vinicius missed a chance from a Guler free-kick, Courtois made a crucial stop against Andrei Ratiu during a one-on-one.

Mbappe nearly found the net after rounding the onrushing Batalla, only to hit the crossbar. Ciss's reckless challenge on Dani Ceballos left Vallecano in a difficult position, but Madrid was gifted an opportunity late when Mendy fouled Brahim Diaz in the area. Mbappe executed the penalty flawlessly, placing it in the bottom-left corner, while Chavarria received a second yellow card for pushing Rodrygo.

Data Debrief: Mbappe Remains Clinical

Mbappe is now the league's top scorer with 22 goals in LaLiga this season. Despite a less than stellar performance where he hit the crossbar, he has converted his last six penalties and is a key contributor to Madrid's attack.

Vallecano achieved an xG of 0.96 to Madrid's 2.14, though the latter was significantly boosted by the penalty. De Frutos has seven LaLiga goals this season, marking his best return to date.