Real Madrid beat Villarreal 2-1 at La Serramica to keep the pressure on Barcelona, who face Atletico Madrid on Sunday. A brace from Mbappe proved just about enough, and even though Real Madrid's performance in the second half could have been much better, it was enough to get the three points.
Real Madrid went behind in the seventh minute after a goalmouth scramble, which was scored by defender Juan Foyth. Within a few minutes, though, Mbappe was able to score a brilliant brace to get Real Madrid the lead, and the away side did just about enough to keep that scoreline. They struggled in the second half, but defended well and dug deep to make sure they get their first win over Villarreal at Serramica since 2017.
Here are the player ratings from the match.
GK Thibaut Courtois
Brilliant as ever. Made some brilliant saves early on to keep Alex Baena and co. at bay. Also was active in the second half, and made some more stops and good decisions to make sure Villarreal's goal tally does not double. Rating: 7.5
RB Lucas Vazquez
Another average performance from Vazquez. He did have the assist to the winner, but everything apart from that was mediocre or worse from the full-back. Lost a bunch of battles in key areas, made some sloppy passes, and just not a good night for the Spaniard as his struggles continue. Rating: 6
CB Raul Asencio
Raul Asencio was pretty good against Villarreal. He played well, and dealt with Villarreal's good attack as well as he could. His ball progression was nice as well, but for some reason, he was subbed off in the second half for Antonio Rudiger. Rudiger could have used the rest, and Asencio was having a decent game. Rating: 7
CB Aurelien Tchouameni
A surprising return to centre-back, but Tchouameni played his role to the best of his abilities. Got a very questionable yellow card for what seemed like a clean challenge, but apart from that, played well and led the defensive line alongside Asencio and then Rudiger. Rating: 7
LB Fran Garcia
A decent shift at left-back from Fran Garcia, who is going to start the next three or four games due to Ferland Mendy's recent injury. He played well, worked hard. Was unlucky in some aspects of the match, although he did struggle quite a bit in some sequences going up against Villarreal's fast attack. Rating: 6
DM Eduardo Camavinga
Camavinga returned to form after a brilliant showing against Atletico Madrid, and although his highs were not as high as that game, Camavinga was still much better than what he showed a few weeks ago. Made some brilliant tackles - four of them - alongside four interceptions and five clearances. He did, however, lose the ball 14 times. Rating: 7.5
CM Fede Valverde
A return to midfield after a very long time for Valverde, and he was good once again. Nothing sensational, but enough to keep the lead before he got his much deserved rest by being subbed off for Arda Guler. Was so important in press resistance and distribution. Rating: 7.5
AM Jude Bellingham
Finally, a good Jude Bellingham performance. Especially in the first half, it seemed like there was nothing anyone could do to take the ball away from him. He was floating with the ball and created a couple of good chances. He was Real Madrid's most important player in terms of press resistance, as he dropped deep to evade Villarreal's high press. Bellingham's involvement in the game was not as high in the second half because Villarreal dominated possession, but he played well. Rating: 7.5
RW Brahim Diaz
Not a game where Brahim had as much of an impact as he normally would like to. Of course, he did his defensive duties to the best of his abilities, and had the shot which fell to Mbappe for Real Madrid's equalier, but after that, he was not involved that much. Was subbed off for Vinicius Jr. Rating: 6.5
CF Kylian Mbappe
A brilliant match from the Frenchman. Scored the goal to get the equaliser, and then gave Real Madrid the lead shortly after with an emphatic finish. Moved like a striker, linked up incredibly well, dropped deep whenever needed, and made good passes to Brahim and Rodrygo. Benzema-esque, in some aspects. Second half was not as influential but it did not need to be, Mbappe had already done his job. Rating: 8
LW Rodrygo
Good performance from Rodrygo in the first half, as he combined with Mbappe very well on multiple occasions. Dribbled well, but the most important things he did came in the defensive end as he went behind to support Fran Garcia numerous times so that Villarreal are not able to create as many chances. It will go under the radar, but Rodrygo played well. Rating: 7