Real Madrid bounced back from its first defeat in nearly ten months by securing a 2-0 victory over Villarreal in La Liga on Saturday, although they may have lost right back Dani Carvajal to injury.
Federico Valverde and Vinícius Júnior found the net for the defending champions just four days after their 1-0 loss to Lille in the Champions League, which snapped a 36-match unbeaten run across all competitions. Madrid has now gone 41 consecutive Spanish league games without a loss. This win against third-placed Villarreal means Madrid is on equal points with Barcelona, who will face Alaves on Sunday.
Carvajal suffered an injury during stoppage time, appearing to hurt his knee after colliding with an opponent. He was visibly distressed and in tears as he was taken off the field on a stretcher. Coach Carlo Ancelotti expressed concern over the severity of the injury, stating it appears to be serious. He mentioned that the packed football schedule often leads to such injuries, affecting key players like Carvajal.
Ancelotti confirmed that Carvajal would be undergoing medical tests to assess the injury. Lucas Vázquez, the reserve right back, is expected to step in.
In the match, Villarreal managed just one shot on target while Madrid capitalized on both of their attempts. Valverde opened the scoring with a deflected long-range effort in the 14th minute, and Vinícius secured the win with a stunning strike from outside the box in the 72nd minute.
In other action, Celta Vigo’s Iago Aspas was sent off during their 1-0 victory against last-placed Las Palmas after receiving two yellow cards for dissent. His first yellow card came in the 54th minute after he objected to the red card shown to teammate Ilaix Moriba, followed quickly by a second booking. Despite being reduced to nine players, Celta held on for the win, courtesy of a goal from Borja Iglesia in the 28th minute.
This victory marked the end of a three-match winless streak for Celta, while Las Palmas remains winless in their last 23 league matches dating back to last season.
In other results, Rayo Vallecano achieved a 2-1 win at Valladolid with two goals from Jorge de Frutos, Espanyol triumphed over Mallorca 2-1 at home, and Osasuna drew 1-1 with Getafe.