Real Madrid picked a narrow 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano at the Santiago Bernabeu, moving them to second place on the summit.
With the Champions League round of 16 tie against Atletico Madrid in three days time, Carlo Ancelotti fielded the game with all star attackers, as a win was crucial for the title race.
The Italian decision paid off as Los Blancos broke the deadlock with their first meaningful chance in the 30th minutes.
Kylian Mbappe slammed the ball into the far corner, past Rayo goalkeeper Augusto Batalla, after receiving a pass from the left side.
Four minutes later, the defending champions made it two, courtesy of Vinicius’ solo goal. The Brazilian was played in by Luka Modric, drove round Vallecano defenders, before slotting a deflected shot past Batalla.
The visitors halved the scoreline in the final seconds of the first half, with a stunning strike from midfielder Pedro Diaz. The goal was not intially given, over contention of whether it crossed the line. However, after VAR intervention, Diaz’s effort stood, making it 2-1.
Both clubs pushed to score in the second half, but neither could find the finishing touch.
The win means that Madrid moves to 2nd place in La Liga, following Atletico Madrid’s defeat at Getafe.
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