Real Madrid survived the first-half dismissal of Kylian Mbappé to record a vital 1-0 win against Alavés at the Mendizorrotza Stadium, cutting Barcelona's lead at the top of LaLiga back to four points. Real started the stronger as suspected, with Arda Güler almost marking a rare league start with a goal in the opening 10 minutes.

Real Madrid visit Alaves in what’s going to be a crucial game in the race for the 2024-25 La Liga title. Carlo Ancelotti will be expected to make some rotations in order to keep his players fresh ahead of Wednesday’s clash against Arsenal in the return leg of the Champions League Quarterfinals.