Deportivo Alavés 0 – Real Madrid 1, goal by Eduardo Camavinga in a match marked by Madrid playing 30 minutes with one man down after Mbappé was sent off.
Vinicius and Bellingham Rested
Ancelotti started the match by resting both players, bringing in Arda Güler and playing a defensive midfield trio: Valverde, Tchouaméni, and Camavinga. It was a match where Ancelotti himself had to watch from the stands while serving a suspension.
It’s a tough stadium, where the home crowd puts on a lot of pressure, and Alavés played aggressively, committing many fouls that the referee let go unpunished, which made the game more difficult. There was a goal by Asensio or Rüdiger (right on the line) after a corner, but it was disallowed due to a foul by Rüdiger on the opposing goalkeeper.
CAMAVINGA AL CENTRO DEL CAMPO.
— Fútbol en Movistar Plus+ (@MovistarFutbol) April 13, 2025
💥 Pared y zurdazo para conquistar Mendizorroza. #LALIGAEASPORTS #LaCasaDelFútbol pic.twitter.com/RPJmICkMJa
Luckily, Real Madrid took the lead 0-1 with a stunning goal by Eduardo Camavinga — and I say luckily because just four minutes later, in the 38th minute, Kylian Mbappé made a very rough challenge and was sent off after a VAR review. It was a fair red card, and we don’t understand why Mbappé did that — he hadn’t been sent off in six years. Maybe it was frustration, but the red card was deserved, and now we’ll have to see how many league matches he misses — 1, 2, or 3. He will be available for the Copa del Rey final. The only good thing is that this way, he gets a bit more rest ahead of Wednesday (and thankfully the opposing player wasn’t injured).
🟥 La expulsión de Mbappé. #LALIGAEASPORTS #LaCasaDelFútbol pic.twitter.com/FXYeU8G9Jp
— Fútbol en Movistar Plus+ (@MovistarFutbol) April 13, 2025
30 Minutes a Man Down
But that red card could have been very costly for Real Madrid, as they had to hold on for 30 minutes with one player less against an Alavés side that naturally pushed forward and created a lot of danger. Real Madrid had no choice but to defend.
Ancelotti Goes All In
It was surprising that, despite having rested Vinicius and Bellingham, Ancelotti brought them on for the final 30 minutes. But we know how Ancelotti is — he always goes all in, as far as the team can go. The good news is that shortly after, following a play by Vinicius, an Alavés player was sent off, evening the numbers and giving Madrid a bit more breathing room.
In the remainder of the match, both teams had a few chances, but Real Madrid managed to hold on to the 0-1 score from Camavinga, who ended up being the MVP, and secured 3 very important points — first, to have some peace of mind heading into Wednesday’s match against Arsenal, and second, to keep fighting for the league. In the standings, we’re still 4 points behind Barcelona, but El Clásico is coming — if we win that, the gap shrinks to just 1 point, so we have to fight until the end.
🤳 ¡@Camavinga, el MVP del partido!
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) April 13, 2025
👋😂 @BellinghamJude también lo tiene claro… pic.twitter.com/mp7XOOzGho