La Liga’s dramatic title race took another turn as Real Madrid leapfrogged Barcelona into top spot with a 2-0 win against Villarreal.
Kylian Mbappe took his tally for the season to 21 goals in 19 league outings with a close-range strike early in the second half and a penalty in injury-time.
Both sides limited each other to half-chances during a tame first half, but Alvaro Arbeloa’s side looked energised after the break and scored almost immediately.
Mbappe was on hand to smash the ball past Villarreal goalkeeper Luiz Junior from close range after Vinicius Junior’s low cross was cleared straight into his path.
Some Villarreal players claimed that Vinicius carried the ball out of play earlier in the move, but the goal was cleared.
The Brazilian looked sharp in the second half as Madrid began to dominate, but he could not score as his goalless run in La Liga extended to 13 games.
Gerard Moreno should have pulled Villarreal level in the 62nd minute, but he whipped a shot over the bar when meeting a quick Dani Parejo free-kick unmarked.
Mbappe secured victory in the fourth minute of stoppage time with a clipped penalty down the middle of the goal after he was fouled by Alfonso Pedraza.
After the match, Mbappe confirmed the Panenka-style penalty was for team-mate Brahim Diaz, who missed with a similar attempt in the Africa Cup of Nations final last week.
Morocco’s Diaz had a tame effort saved in stoppage time with the match goalless, and opponents Senegal went on to win in extra time.
Real trailed Barcelona by four points when La Liga restarted in January, but a shock defeat for Hansi Flick’s side by Real Sociedad last weekend opened the door for Real to pile on the pressure.
Los Blancos have won their last three games in all competitions under Arbeloa, who began his tenure after replacing Xabi Alonso with a shock 3-2 defeat by second-division side Albacete in the last-16 of the Copa del Rey.
Arbeloa’s side hold a two-point lead at the top, but Barcelona will return to the summit if they defeat bottom side Real Oviedo on Sunday (15:15 GMT).
By BBC Sports
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