Mbappé and Vinicius Make the Difference, Position Madrid as Co-Leaders

Mbappé and Vinicius's decisive actions allowed a discreet Real Madrid to secure a dangerous match against Rayo, take advantage of Atlético's setback, and climb to the co-leadership of La Liga, although Barça still has a pending match against Osasuna, postponed on Saturday due to the death of Dr. Carles Miñarro. Like the match, Ancelotti's team went from strength to weakness, and after conceding Pedro Díaz's stunning goal in the final moments of the first half, they played it safe after the break, even receiving some boos from fans demanding more. Three points and no injuries, mission accomplished for Madrid in this match ahead of the big Champions League battle looming at the Metropolitano. A significant achievement.

Spurred by Atlético's defeat and aware of the immense value of a necessary victory, Real Madrid started with a better attitude than in previous encounters, although they faded and ended up holding on for the final whistle. They couldn't afford to slip against a Rayo as attractive as it was daring at the Bernabéu, as playing Ancelotti's team toe-to-toe, with high pressing and advanced defence, entails enormous risk. Despite the defeat, this fearless team deserves credit, missing key players at the Bernabéu like Ghanaian Mumin, De Frutos, Isi, and most forwards.

The clash started at full speed, with defensive errors from both teams and Vinicius and Mbappé eager to silence critics after two lacklustre performances. An early scare for Lunin, who fumbled at a corner, allowing Aridane's header to go wide. On the other side, a reversal of roles, with Batalla dribbling past Vinicius. It takes a lot of personality and a bit of madness to do something like that, but the Argentine goalkeeper is just that way.

Vini, who had already shown his skills by dribbling along the goal line past Ratiu in a beautiful move saved by Pacha, hit the post before Asencio's suicidal back pass to Lunin almost resulted in the season's silliest goal. In such back-and-forth play, the best usually prevail, as evidenced by Mbappé. The Bondy star battled with a soft Lejeune and beat Batalla with a dry, powerful shot.

The Vini Dance

Four minutes later, a stellar move by Vini, who danced past a contemplative Ratiu in the area and struck past the goalkeeper. The ball grazed the Romanian defender after the Brazilian's subtle touch, but it was a piece of brilliance. With Rayo reeling, like a boxer on the ropes, Mbappé could have scored a third, but Batalla saved. He kept Rayo in the game, which got back into it with Pedro Díaz's stunning goal in stoppage time. He surprised Lunin with a long-range shot that hit the crossbar and bounced in, confirmed by VAR.

The pace dropped significantly after the restart. The match became much more contained, largely because Madrid decided to sit back and try to counterattack, their preferred style. But little happened. A Mbappé sprint, outpacing Aridane but failing to finish with finesse, and the wonderful array of technical details Mbappé always leaves. Rayo had more possession but made little progress, just a wayward cross from Gumbau that Embarba couldn't reach.

Carletto and Iñigo were slow to make changes. As the duel was far from settled, Valverde replaced Rodrygo, who had injured his hand from a stamp late in the first half. Then, another very defensive change, with Camavinga coming on for Mbappé and Bellingham moving forward with Vini until Brahim replaced the Englishman, who was quite weak in his return after suspensions in La Liga and Champions League.

The franjirrojo coach had very few options, but he tried to change the dynamic with a triple substitution: depth with Balliu, control with Óscar Valentín, and imbalance with veteran Óscar Trejo. Vini could have sealed the victory after a great pass from Modric as a winger, but he shot wide. In another transition, the Brazilian did everything right except the final pass, which Aridane intercepted. On the edge until the end.