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Real Madrid 4 Las Palmas 1
Real Madrid regained their position at the top of La Liga with a resounding 4-1 victory over UD Las Palmas at the Santiago Bernabéu. Despite conceding an early goal from Fábio Silva, the hosts turned the game around with a brace from Kylian Mbappé and a goal from Brahim Díaz to lead 3-1 at half-time.
Rodrygo added the fourth in the second half, while David Alaba made an emotional return after a 399-day absence due to injury. Ancelotti’s men could have achieved an even bigger victory, with three goals disallowed by the VAR.
The match started spectacularly, with Las Palmas scoring just 26 seconds later. Fábio Silva took advantage of a precise cross from Sandro and put the ball between the Real Madrid defense.
Madrid’s response was immediate, and Brahim narrowly missed a cutback from Rodrygo just three minutes later. In the 8th minute, Mbappé forced Cillessen to intervene and the rebound hit the post.
Persistence paid off in the 18th minute, when Sandro fouled Rodrygo in the box and Mbappé calmly converted the resulting penalty to level the score at 1-1.
Mbappé shines
Real Madrid’s offensive attack continued and Mbappé was at the center of it. In the 33rd minute, a run from the center of the field led to a rejected shot, which Lucas Vázquez recovered before assisting Brahim Díaz to finish calmly and make it 2-1.
A few minutes later, Mbappé completed his double, calmly putting in a pass from Rodrygo with a precise shot into the bottom corner (3-1). The Frenchman thought he had completed a hat-trick in the first half, but the VAR ruled him offside, keeping the score intact at half-time.
Control of the second half
Madrid dominated the second half without giving up intensity. Dani Ceballos slipped a smart pass to Bellingham in the 49th minute, but his attempt found the side netting. The fourth goal came shortly after, when Fran García crossed low and perfect for Rodrygo, who beat Cillessen in the 54th minute.
Las Palmas had to face an uphill battle when Benito was sent off in the 63rd minute after a dangerous challenge on Lucas Vázquez. The VAR intervened and the yellow card became a direct red.
Alaba received a standing ovation when he replaced Rüdiger in the 75th minute, marking his return from a long-term injury. Valverde and Bellingham were close to adding more goals, but the VAR annulled the attempts twice: once for offside on a Valverde free kick and another for Lucas Vázquez’s position in preparation for Valverde’s long-distance shot.
Domain restored
Real Madrid’s 14th league win of the season cemented their place at the top of the table, demonstrating their resilience and firepower. With Mbappé in brilliant form, the increasing contributions of Brahim and Alaba back in the team, Los Blancos look set for a strong La Liga campaign.
Although it wasn’t on the scoresheet, Jude Bellingham had the ball in the back of the net in the 75th minute, but after a VAR review, it was ruled out because Antonio Rudiger was offside.
But he won’t be too disappointed as he received the EA Sports LaLiga Player of the Month for December award ahead of the Real Madrid-Las Palmas match.
The midfielder was voted by the fans after scoring four goals and giving two assists in the five league games he played last month.
Main image courtesy of Real Madrid.
