Real Madrid survive late drama to beat Rayo Vallecano and go level with Barcelona

Two goals in the first half from Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr created sufficient cushion for Real Madrid and despite Pedro Diaz's strike before half-time to halve the deficit, Los Blancos had done enough to clinch maximum points.

The 2-1 victory helped Real Madrid climb to 57 points, level with eternal rivals Barcelona. However, Real Madrid have now played a game more as tragedy in the Blaugrana camp caused their match for the game week to be postponed.

The victory against Rayo Vallecano follows a shocking defeat for Atletico Madrid to Getafe, which ensures Los Blancos are the only team in the title race to collect points this week.

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Carlo Ancelotti's side burst out of the blocks, intent on taking advantage of the circumstances that have been presented to them. They came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock on 15 minutes, as Rodrygo sprinted down the right wing and delivered a pinpoint pass to Vinícius, whose powerful effort rattled the post. 

Real Madrid maintained their relentless pressure and finally found the breakthrough courtesy of Kylian Mbappe's clinical finish into the far corner. The French superstar's strike was swiftly followed by a moment of individual brilliance from Vinícius, who danced past Rayo Vallecano's defenders before coolly slotting past Augusto Batalla. 

Mbappe spurned a gilt-edged opportunity to put the game to bed, and Rayo Vallecano capitalised on this reprieve to halve the deficit on the stroke of halftime. Pedro Díaz's spectacular strike, which crashed off the crossbar and crept over the line, was upheld by a lengthy VAR review. 

The second half witnessed a marked shift in momentum, as Rayo Vallecano's late first-half goal galvanised them, while Real Madrid struggled to recapture their earlier dominance. 

 A second half devoid of clear-cut chances ultimately petered out. Despite enjoying a late surge, Rayo Vallecano were unable to translate their dominance into meaningful scoring opportunities.