Kylian Mbappe shined once again, scoring twice as Real Madrid completed a thrilling comeback to defeat Leganes 3-2 on Saturday. This victory places them level on points with La Liga leaders Barcelona in a tightly contested title race.
The match, held at the iconic Santiago Bernabeu, saw Carlo Ancelotti’s squad apply pressure on their rivals, who are set to face Girona in a crucial Catalan derby on Sunday.
Mbappe initially gave Los Blancos the lead with a penalty, only for Leganes to counter with goals from Diego Garcia and Dani Raba, taking a surprising advantage before halftime.
The tide shifted in the second half when Jude Bellingham quickly equalized for Madrid, followed by Mbappe’s stunning free-kick that ultimately secured three points for the reigning champions.
Both Barcelona and Real Madrid now sit six points ahead of third-place Atletico Madrid, who settled for a draw against Espanyol earlier in the day.
In a strategic move, Ancelotti opted to rest Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes, both of whom participated in Brazil’s recent match, preferring to start Mbappe alongside Brahim Diaz in the attacking lineup.
Despite some resolute defending and impressive saves from goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic, a contentious penalty decision gave Madrid the early advantage. After a foul by Oscar Rodriguez on midfielder Arda Guler, the referee awarded a penalty, which Mbappe converted with a cheeky Panenka.
However, Leganes equalized almost instantly, capitalizing on a defensive lapse with Diego Garcia scoring from close range. Moments later, a turnover led to Leganes taking the lead as Raba converted from a well-placed cutback.
Real Madrid entered the second half with renewed energy, with Bellingham scoring his eighth league goal shortly thereafter, tapping in after a shot from Diaz rebounded off the crossbar.
With the intensity increasing, Diaz came close to restoring the lead, striking the post after a setup from Mbappe. Ancelotti then injected fresh energy into the team by bringing on Vinicius and Rodrygo.
Finally, Mbappe delivered the decisive moment in the 76th minute with his remarkable 22nd league goal of the season through a well-executed free-kick. He now trails Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski by just one goal in the race for the top scorer and has netted 33 goals across all competitions in 44 appearances.
Leganes nearly leveled the score in the dying moments, but former Barcelona player Munir El Haddadi’s header went wide, sealing the dramatic victory for Real Madrid.
