Villarreal – Real Madrid, getty images January 25, 2026, 00:00

The defeat of Barcelona in the previous round allowed Real to reduce the gap to the current champion to a minimum. The away match against La Liga’s third-placed Villarreal was crucial in the fight for top spot, and Madrid rose to the challenge.

The meeting at the Estadio de la Ceramica started cautiously. Real possessed the ball, but in the first half it was not very convincing in the positional attack. There were few scoring opportunities: Arda Güler dangerously shot under the crossbar, and Vinicius’ shot at the end of the half went near the post. Villarreal responded sporadically and practically did not threaten the visitors’ goal.

After the break, Real added speed and opened the scoring in the 47th minute. The combination with the participation of Vinicius was completed by Kylian Mbappe, who coolly beat the goalkeeper. The French forward continued his scoring streak, scoring another goal in the championship.

The hosts had several chances to equalize, the most realistic of which was missed by Gerard Moreno, who shot over the bar after a set piece. At the end of the match, the game opened up, which was more profitable for Real. In stoppage time, Mbappe earned a penalty and converted it himself, scoring a double and setting the final score.

Villarreal — Real Madrid 0:2
Goals: Mbappe, 47, 90+2 (pen)

Villarreal: Vinicius — Navarro, Foyt (Marin, 24), Veiga, Pedraza — Buchanan (Pepe, 70), Parejo (Party, 78), Gouet, Moleiro — Moreno (Oluwasei, 70), Mikautadze (Perez, 78)

Real Madrid: Courtois – Valverde, Asensio, Huysen, Carreras – Guler (Diaz, 80), Camavinga, Bellingham – Mastantuono (Garcia, 74), Mbappe, Vinicius

Warning: Foyt, Navarro — Mastantuono