Real Madrid: Mbappé’s Late Magic Saves the Day Against Talavera

Real Madrid faced a resilient Talavera side, who set up defensively from the outset of the match. It took until the 15th minute for Xabi Alonso‘s men to find their rhythm, with a striking trio of Endrick, Gonzalo, and Kylian Mbappé leading the charge. The Brazilian forward, likely playing his final games in a Madrid shirt this season, showcased his talents throughout the match but was unable to find the back of the net or provide an assist. He came close to earning a penalty in the 14th minute after a questionable tackle from a Talavera defender.

Despite dominating possession in the opposition half, Madrid nearly fell victim to a counterattack when Moreno’s header was brilliantly saved by Andriy Lunin in the 18th minute. Endrick continued to impress, forcing Talavera’s goalkeeper into two critical saves—first with a double stop in the 20th minute and then on a header from Mastantuono in the 22nd minute. The third-division side began to sense an opportunity when Lunin had to intervene again, this time denying Arda Güler from a well-placed free kick in the 26th minute.

The pressure mounted on Jaime, Talavera’s goalkeeper, but he remained steadfast against Madrid’s relentless advances. Alejandro Sandroni’s squad posed threats of their own, notably with Di Renzo’s half-volley that narrowly missed Lunin’s goal in the 35th minute. However, it was Kylian Mbappé who would change the course of the match just before halftime. In a dramatic turn of events, he converted a penalty in the 41st minute (0-1) and then contributed to an own goal just before the break after breaking down the right flank (0-2). Madrid went into halftime with a comfortable lead, having not exerted themselves too much.

Second Half Struggles

Upon returning for the second half, Mbappé had another chance to extend Madrid’s lead after receiving a well-timed through ball from Endrick but squandered his one-on-one opportunity against Jaime Gonzalez in the 53rd minute. Madrid continued their dominance, yet Arda Güler saw another free kick thwarted by an impressive save from Talavera’s keeper in the 68th minute. Just as it seemed Madrid had control of the match, panic ensued during the final ten minutes.

Talavera pulled one back in the 80th minute through left-back Arroyo (1-2), igniting hope among their fans at El Prado Stadium. But once again, it was Mbappé who dashed those hopes by scoring Madrid’s third goal in the 88th minute (1-3). Even as Talavera responded with another goal from Di Renzo in stoppage time (92nd minute, 2-3), Andriy Lunin made a crucial stop on what could have been an equalizer at the death.

In a match that ended with Madrid escaping narrowly with all three points, questions linger about their performance against lower-tier opposition. The Merengues will need to address these concerns as they look ahead to more challenging fixtures.