In this Real Madrid vs Alavés match, I analyse the key tactical moments, individual performances and turning points of the game.
Real Madrid went into the match with the obligation to win, but also with that invisible weight of a team that no longer depends only on itself. A nine-point gap isn’t erased with good intentions and the team continues to show signs that it still hasn’t found balance when combining Mbappé and Vini Jr. Even so, against a fragile Alavés, it was more about getting the job done than convincing.
The game started open for seconds, literally. An early mistake handed Alavés a clear opportunity, but the decision went wide. It was practically their last relevant attacking moment for a long time. From then on, Real took control: more possession, more presence, but little real depth.
There was an obvious problem: Real circulated the ball well, but had no one consistently occupying the box. Mbappé and Vini Jr kept dropping deep, linking play outside, but when the ball reached the decisive area, it found emptiness. That was exposed in a moment where Mbappé does everything right up to the final pass and has no one to finish. It’s a pattern, not a coincidence.
The goal eventually came without much aesthetic value in the 30th minute. Güler releases Mbappé at the edge of the area, he shoots under pressure, the ball takes a deflection and completely wrong-foots Sivera. One of those goals that unlocks the game more through fortune than construction, but rewards the team on top.
Real remained dominant, but without that feeling of total control. They created, but didn’t finish with clarity and that kept the game alive longer than it should have been. Near half-time, between a shot off the crossbar and a strange moment with Militão injured, Alavés almost equalised in a chaotic situation. It was the first sign the game wasn’t closed.
At 50 minutes, a quick counter-attack, Vini Jr receives on the left still far from goal, cuts inside and fires into the corner. A clean, direct goal, no complications. Exactly what the game needed.
At 2-0, Real shifted into a management mode that borders on relaxation. Still better, but without the same urgency and that gave Alavés some life. There was a good chance to kill the game with a shot inside the box cleared off the line. Alavés started to believe, even without much collective quality, but with persistence.
The final minutes were about that: more heart than head from Alavés and some passivity from Real. Balls into the box, long shots, one off the post: the goal was coming and it arrived in stoppage time. A shot from distance and a backheel deflection from Toni Martínez, enough to wrong-foot Lunin. A technical touch in a simple move, but one that sums up the visitors’ late push.
Post-match
Real win, but don’t reassure anyone. They do enough, but never look fully secure. Three more points, fewer certainties. Real Madrid remain dependent on individual moments and unconvincing as an attacking collective. They lack presence in the box and emotional consistency in the closing minutes.
Alavés lose, but leave with signs of life. The final stretch showed a team that, with more belief, can absolutely fight to stay up until the end. A fair result, but with a story that could have been different.
