Marking his comeback from suspension, Vinicius Junior successfully netted two penalties, a feat that propelled Real Madrid to the summit of La Liga. They now hold a two-point advantage over Barcelona after vanquishing Real Sociedad at the Estadio Bernabeu, notably without Kylian Mbappe.
Due to a knee ailment, leading goal-scorer Mbappe remained on the bench. Nevertheless, Gonzalo Garcia notched his inaugural league goal since his home treble against Real Betis on January 4, converting Trent Alexander-Arnold’s delivery to grant Madrid an early lead after just five minutes.
Mikel Oyarzabal restored parity in the 21st minute, converting a penalty awarded after Dean Huijsen received a caution for a reckless challenge on Yangel Herrera inside the area. However, Vinicius Junior subsequently scored from the penalty mark in the 25th and 48th minutes, having been brought down by Jon Aramburu on both occasions.
Meanwhile, Federico Valverde’s 31st-minute strike, assisted by Alvaro Carreras, secured Madrid’s seventh consecutive league victory. Nonetheless, current title-holders Barca could surpass them should they triumph in their deferred fixture against mid-ranking Girona on Monday (20:00 GMT).
Analysis: Real Madrid Dominate, Notwithstanding Kylian Mbappe’s Injury
Mbappe had found the net in each of Madrid’s preceding four league encounters and registered at least one goal in all six of his most recent appearances, accumulating a total of five strikes across those fixtures.
However, Madrid enjoyed the advantage of keeping their key player unutilized, seldom appearing in difficulty following their second goal against well-performing adversaries pursuing European qualification.
Sociedad had maintained an undefeated streak of 11 matches across all competitions, a run that included eight triumphs, notably a 1-0 win against Athletic Bilbao in the opening leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final on Wednesday.
Furthermore, they had triumphed in four of their preceding five La Liga encounters. Yet, Madrid now boast 19 wins from their 24 premier division games this campaign, accumulating 33 points from 12 matches contested at the Bernabeu.
The fifteen-time continental title-holders also secured a 2-1 victory in the return match and have remained undefeated in this particular encounter since May 2023. In contrast, Sociedad’s dismal performance on the road now amounts to merely 11 points from 12 league away fixtures.
Real Madrid’s Initial Lineup Against Real Sociedad
The principal update revolved around Mbappe, who has remarkably netted 38 goals in 31 outings across all competitions this season, registering goals 23 times in 22 league matches.
Eder Militao and Jude Bellingham were sidelined due to hamstring strains; however, Vinicius Junior had returned, and Alexander-Arnold featured from the start after recently resuming play.
Brahim Diaz stayed among the reserves, notwithstanding his notable cameo from the bench during their 2-0 triumph at Valencia the preceding Sunday.
Real Madrid’s First Eleven: Thibaut Courtois, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rudiger, Dean Huijsen, Alvaro Carreras, Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Arda Guler, Eduardo Camavinga, Gonzalo Garcia, Vinicius Junior
Madrid’s Reserves: Andrii Lunin, Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, Kylian Mbappe, Raul Asencio, Dani Ceballos, Fran Garcia, Brahim Diaz, Ferland Mendy, Jorge Cestero, Franco Mastantuono, Cesar Palacios
Real Sociedad’s Complete Lineup Against Real Madrid
Real Sociedad were without Takefusa Kubo, and Brais Mendez was serving a ban. Additionally, Arsen Zakharyan, Ander Barrenetxea, and Luka Sucic were sidelined.
Alvaro Odriozola was among the substitutes when facing his previous club. Oyarzabal spearheaded Sociedad’s offensive.
Real Sociedad’s First Eleven: Alex Remiro, Jon Aramburu, Jon Martin, Igor Zubeldia, Aihen Munoz, Pablo Marin, Jon Gorrotxategi, Yangel Herrera, Wesley, Mikel Oyarzabal, Carlos Soler
Sociedad’s Reserves: Unai Marrero, Aritz Elustondo, Benat Turrientes, Orri Oskarsson, Goncalo Guedes, Duje Caleta-Car, Sergio Gomez, Jon Karrikaburu, Alvaro Odriozola, Daniel Diaz, Ibai Aguirre, Job Ochien
Upcoming Engagements for These Teams: Real Madrid, Real Sociedad Matches
Madrid will once more confront Benfica, a team that previously defeated them in the concluding game of the group stage, during the Champions League elimination rounds on Tuesday (20:00 GMT).
Subsequently, they will travel to face Osasuna, currently occupying ninth position in La Liga, as they resume premier division play on Saturday (17:30).
Sociedad’s subsequent fixture is scheduled for the same day, as they welcome relegation-threatened Oviedo (13:00).