Vinicius Junior delivered a standout performance with two goals to lead Real Madrid to a 3–1 victory over Villarreal on Saturday, propelling Los Blancos to the top of La Liga.
The win moved Madrid two points clear of reigning champions Barcelona, who face Sevilla on Sunday. It also marked a strong response to last week’s 5–2 derby defeat against Atletico Madrid.
Fresh off a midweek Champions League trip to Kazakhstan, where they beat Kairat, Madrid returned to domestic action with renewed focus. Manager Xabi Alonso made tactical adjustments, including deploying Fede Valverde at right-back to cover for injured defenders Dani Carvajal and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The first half at the Santiago Bernabeu was slow-paced, with chances at both ends. Franco Mastantuono nearly opened the scoring for Madrid, but Villarreal’s Renato Veiga blocked his effort. Thibaut Courtois kept the hosts level with a sharp save from Tani Oluwaseyi.
Vinicius broke the deadlock early in the second half with a deflected strike off Santi Comesana. He added a second to seal the win, continuing his resurgence after a slow start to the season.
“I played very well and I want to continue like this, keeping this confidence and doing even more,” Vinicius said post-match. Alonso praised his impact, calling him “decisive.”
Kylian Mbappe also found the net, while Jude Bellingham came off the bench for the final 25 minutes, eager to impress after being left out of England’s squad by Thomas Tuchel. Madrid now head into the international break with momentum and confidence, knowing big fixtures await on their return.
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