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Real Madrid forwards Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior were both on target as the club secured a narrow 2-1 victory over Alaves on Tuesday.
The result serves as a vital lifeline for the Spanish giants, moving them within six points of league leaders Barcelona.
After a recent dip in domestic form and a disappointing exit from the Champions League, the win at the Santiago Bernabeu provides much-needed momentum for Alvaro Arbeloa’s side.
Mbappe opened the scoring in the first half with a deflected strike, marking his 24th league goal of the season and his first since returning from a knee injury.
Early in the second half, Vinicius Junior doubled the lead with a powerful long-range effort.
Despite the two-goal cushion, Madrid faced significant pressure from a resilient Alaves side, who struck the woodwork twice before Toni Martinez managed to pull a goal back with a clever flick during stoppage time.
While the three points ended a winless streak, the performance did little to silence critics, as the final whistle was met with audible frustration from the home crowd.
The victory also came at a cost, with defender Eder Militao forced off the pitch due to injury before halftime.
Madrid now turn their attention to a congested fixture list, with Arbeloa emphasising that the team’s sole focus is winning every remaining game to pressure Barcelona.
In other La Liga action, Real Betis staged a successful comeback to defeat Girona 3-2, thanks to a late winner from Rodrigo Riquelme.
Athletic Bilbao claimed a slim 1-0 victory over Osasuna courtesy of Gorka Guruzeta, while the match between Mallorca and Valencia ended in a 1-1 stalemate.
