Real Madrid edge Alavés 2-1 to end winless streak, keep La Liga title hopes alive

Real Madrid snapped a four-match winless streak with a 2-1 victory over Deportivo Alavés at the Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. The win, secured through goals from Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior, narrowed the gap to La Liga leaders Barcelona to six points and kept the club’s slim title hopes alive.

The Santiago Bernabéu crowd expressed its frustration early, with both Mbappé and Vinícius facing whistles and jeers whenever they touched the ball. The atmosphere reflected lingering disappointment from the club’s recent 6-4 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, which had extended Real Madrid’s winless run to four matches entering the contest.

Real Madrid broke the deadlock in the 30th minute when Mbappé’s shot from 20 yards took a deflection that left Alavés goalkeeper Antonio Sivera unable to stop the ball. The goal came after a slow start from the home side, with Dean Huijsen having to block a shot from Lucas Boye and Andriy Lunin parrying a low effort from Toni Martinez in the opening stages.

Five minutes into the second half, Vinícius Júnior doubled the lead with a direct effort from approximately 25 yards out. Following his goal, the Brazilian forward appeared to apologize to the crowd and kissed the club badge, acknowledging the earlier criticism from the Bernabéu faithful.

Alavés created chances throughout the match, with Toni Martinez hitting the post and having a volley saved by Lunin, while Victor Parada also struck the post with a diving header. Despite the pressure, Real Madrid held on to secure the victory, with the result moving them closer to Barcelona in the La Liga standings.

The victory was described by Real Madrid’s coaching staff as a necessary step to rebuild confidence after the Champions League exit, though the performance was characterized as lacking the fluency seen in previous seasons. The team’s next match will be against their next La Liga opponent, with the focus now on maintaining momentum in the domestic title race.

As Real Madrid look to close the gap on Barcelona, the club’s supporters remain eager for a return to consistent performances. The result against Alavés provides a foundation for future matches, though questions remain about the team’s ability to sustain a challenge for the league title given the current deficit.

What are your thoughts on Real Madrid’s performance against Alavés? Share your views in the comments below and join the conversation about the La Liga title race.