MADRID:&nbsp;Kylian Mbappe matched Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s club record for goals in a calendar year and Jude Bellingham also scored as Real Madrid beat Sevilla 2-0 on Saturday in La Liga. French superstar Mbappe levelled Ronaldo&#39;s tally of 59 goals in 2013 by stroking home a late penalty, after Bellingham sent Madrid ahead with a first half header. The victory allowed Los Blancos, second, to cut the gap on leaders Barcelona to one point before the Catalans visit Villarreal on Sunday. Gaining a third consecutive win across all competitions, after managing just two in the previous eight games, marginally eases the pressure on coach Xabi Alonso. Sevilla, who thrashed champions Barcelona 4-1 in October, started strongly with veteran Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez heavily involved. Odysseas Vlachodimos made a fine save to thwart Fran Garcia at the other end, and as the minutes ticked by Madrid began to find more of a foothold. Bellingham headed the hosts in front at the Santiago Bernabeu after Rodrygo Goes whipped in a dangerous free-kick. The Brazilian forward was booked for diving before the break as he tumbled in the box under little pressure. Sanchez landed the ball on the roof of Thibaut Courtois&#39;s net before the break with an acrobatic effort. Sevilla coach Matias Almeyda was sent off at half-time for dissent, but his team plugged away in search of an equaliser regardless. Courtois twice denied Isaac Romero early in the second half, while Mbappe intensified his search to emulate Ronaldo&#39;s record. Mbappe headed against the crossbar and whipped a shot narrowly wide, while Vlachodimos fended off another effort from the 27-year-old on his birthday. Sevilla defender Marcao clumsily slid in to foul Bellingham after 67 minutes and was sent off for a second yellow card, hampering his side&#39;s chances of adding to Alonso&#39;s struggles. Madrid almost scored a second when Mbappe teed up Rodrygo, who lifted the ball into the air and then lashed it towards goal, but Vlachodimos superbly tipped it onto the crossbar. Eventually Mbappe got the goal he craved from the penalty spot, after Juanlu clumsily brought down Rodrygo. The forward sent Vlachodimos the wrong way as he stroked in his 59th of the year, to match Ronaldo&#39;s record. Madrid were awarded another penalty when Bellingham went down in the box but it was ruled out after a VAR review showed Sevilla defender Oso got the ball. The referee then gave Madrid another penalty as Sow fouled Rodrygo on the edge of the box, but the offence was just outside the area and it was again scrapped. Mbappe whipped the free-kick narrowly over the top corner as he tried in vain to go beyond Ronaldo&#39;s mark, but he will have to try again in 2026.

Football

Kylian Mbappe matched Cristiano Ronaldo’s 59-goal record as Real Madrid beat Sevilla 2-0, with Jude Bellingham scoring first, helping Madrid close the gap on Barcelona and ease pressure on coach Alonso

Mbappe matches Ronaldo record as Real Madrid beat Sevilla

MADRID: Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said Kylian Mbappe is fit to play on Sunday against Alaves in La Liga, as his depleted team bid to turn around a run of bad results.&nbsp;Mbappe missed the Champions League defeat by Manchester City on Wednesday which left Madrid with just two wins in their last eight games and Alonso at risk of the sack.&nbsp;&quot;We&#39;ve got Kylian back, he&#39;s ready to play, and tomorrow we&#39;ll see and decide (if he starts), that&#39;s good news obviously,&quot; Alonso said on Saturday.&nbsp;Real Madrid are without several injured players for the game in Vitoria, including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal and Eduardo Camavinga.&nbsp;Fran Garcia, Alvaro Carreras and Endrick are also suspended. Defender Dean Huijsen is likely to return for the clash at Alaves which could define Alonso&#39;s future.&nbsp;&quot;Evidently despite the players we&#39;ve got out we have strong enough players and a strong enough team,&quot; continued the coach.&nbsp;Alonso said he hoped Madrid&#39;s current struggles, lying four points behind La Liga leaders Barca, could make them stronger.&nbsp;&quot;We are having difficulties but we can grow, if we can get past these tough times, change the dynamic, maybe in a few weeks we&#39;ll look back and think &#39;we went through a lot but it made us stronger&#39;.&quot;

Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso confirmed Kylian Mbappe is fit for Sunday’s La Liga clash against Alaves. With injuries and suspensions affecting key players, Madrid seek to reverse poor form and grow stronger through current challenges.

Mbappe back for Alonso's depleted Real Madrid

MADRID: Kylian Mbappe extended his goalscoring streak to 11 consecutive games to help Real Madrid reclaim top spot in La Liga with a 1-0 victory at nine-man Getafe on Sunday. After rivals Barcelona briefly displaced Los Blancos with a narrow win over Girona on Saturday, Xabi Alonso&#39;s side restored their two-point advantage before next weekend&#39;s Clasico. Getafe fended off Madrid until Allan Nyom was dismissed a minute after coming on, and Mbappe quickly pounced to decide the game in the 80th minute. Alex Sancris was also sent off as Getafe unravelled in the final stages. Alonso started with Brazilian star Vinicius Junior on the bench, with the Champions League clash against Juventus on Wednesday and Barca&#39;s impending visit in mind. The winger turned out to be key as a second-half substitute, with both of Getafe&#39;s red cards issued for fouls on him. &quot;Vini had a great impact ... we told him this morning he could be so important,&quot; Alonso told reporters. &quot;It was a very demanding game, coming here to face Getafe is never easy ... it wasn&#39;t the prettiest game but we did what we had to do.&quot; Mbappe returned after an ankle problem kept him out of a France World Cup qualifier earlier in the week, leading the line at Getafe&#39;s Coliseum stadium. The French forward had scored in his previous 10 consecutive appearances for club and country and found the net once again. &quot;We are very happy with how Kylian is going; he&#39;s being decisive,&quot; said Alonso. Mbappe twice came close before Getafe earned a foothold in the game and began to frustrate the visitors, stopping them from creating much danger. Only towards the end of the first period did Madrid perk up again in attack, with Soria saving from Rodrygo Goes after good work by Jude Bellingham. Getafe&#39;s goalkeeper made a good stop from a powerful David Alaba free-kick, and Fede Valverde flashed a strike across the face of the goal before half-time. Alonso sent on Vinicius in the second half, and his spark began to worry the hosts, who resorted to fouls to fend off the Brazilian. Bellingham fed Mbappe, who fired off target, and then whipped a free-kick inches wide, as Madrid remained comfortably on top. Getafe see redThe game changed when Getafe substitute Nyom, under a minute after coming on, needlessly knocked down Vinicius off the ball with his arm and was sent off. Moments after play restarted, Real Madrid took the lead. Arda Guler fed Mbappe, who was just onside, and he turned nicely before firing past Soria and in off the post for his 10th league goal of the season, leading the charts both in La Liga and in the Champions League. Getafe continued to self-destruct and Sancris was sent off for a second yellow card, gained for another unnecessary foul on Vinicius, leaving Jose Bordalas&#39;s side with nine men. Alvaro Carreras fired wide after a cheeky scoop over the defence by Vinicius, whom Getafe fans booed. Despite their significant numerical disadvantage, the hosts had one golden chance to level in stoppage time, but Thibaut Courtois saved from Englishman Abu Kamara with his knee. &quot;We should not give away this chance, but Thibaut did his job,&quot; said Alonso. Getafe coach Bordalas said he did not believe Nyom deserved to be dismissed before Madrid&#39;s opener. &quot;Nyom&#39;s red card changed the game,&quot; said the Getafe coach. &quot;For me, it&#39;s not a red card, yellow at most.&quot; Elsewhere, newly-promoted Elche continued their good start to the season with a 0-0 draw against Athletic Bilbao, which left them seventh, one place above their Basque opponents. Rayo Vallecano climbed into 10th with a 3-0 win at Levante, while struggling Real Sociedad snatched a late 1-1 draw at 10-man Celta Vigo.

The 80th-minute strike sealed Real Madrid’s 1-0 win over nine-man Getafe, extending Mbappe's scoring streak to 11 games and restoring Madrid’s La Liga lead ahead of the upcoming Clasico against Barcelona.

Mbappe sends Real Madrid top as Getafe self-destruct

PARIS: Kylian Mbappe will undergo medical examinations on his right ankle when he meets up with his international team-mates ahead of the latest round of 2026 World Cup qualifiers, France coach Didier Deschamps said on Monday.&nbsp;The France captain sustained the knock at the end of Real Madrid&#39;s 3-1 La Liga victory over Villarreal on Saturday, casting doubts over his availability to the national team for their upcoming qualifying matches against Azerbaijan and Iceland.&nbsp;&quot;I spoke with Kylian, he had a small niggle but it&#39;s not serious, otherwise he wouldn&#39;t be here today,&quot; Deschamps told reporters at the French team&#39;s Clairefontaine base near Paris.&nbsp;&quot;We will take the time with the medical staff to assess the situation and then see how it develops.&nbsp;&quot;I don&#39;t have any further information at this stage as the players will be arriving around 4pm, so we&#39;ll take stock then as usual,&quot; he added.&nbsp;Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate is also due to undergo tests, after coming off injured in the Reds&#39; 2-1 defeat at Chelsea on Saturday.&nbsp;Les Bleus are top of their group with two wins from two so far in qualifying.&nbsp; They host Azerbaijan on Friday at Paris Saint-Germain&#39;s Parc des Princes stadium before travelling to Iceland three days later.

France coach Didier Deschamps said Kylian Mbappe will undergo ankle tests after a knock with Real Madrid, though the injury seems minor.

Articles tagged with "Kylian Mbappe"

Mbappe matches Ronaldo record as Real Madrid beat Sevilla

Mbappe back for Alonso's depleted Real Madrid

Mbappe sends Real Madrid top as Getafe self-destruct

Mbappe to undergo ankle tests ahead of France’s World Cup qualifiers