Real Madrid 4 Las Palmas 1
Real Madrid reclaimed their position at the top of La Liga with a commanding 4-1 victory over UD Las Palmas at the Santiago Bernabéu. Despite conceding an early goal from Fábio Silva, the hosts turned the game around with a brace from Kylian Mbappé and a goal from Brahim Díaz to lead 3-1 at halftime.
Rodrygo added the fourth in the second half, while David Alaba made an emotional return after a 399-day injury absence. Ancelotti’s side could have secured an even larger victory, with three goals disallowed by VAR.
The match began dramatically, with Las Palmas striking just 26 seconds in. Fábio Silva latched onto a precise cross from Sandro and slotted the ball past the Real Madrid defense.
Madrid’s response was swift, with Brahim narrowly missing a Rodrygo cutback just three minutes later. In the 8th minute, Mbappé forced Cillessen into a save, the rebound hitting the post.
Persistence paid off in the 18th minute when Sandro fouled Rodrygo in the box, and Mbappé calmly converted the resulting penalty to level the score at 1-1.
Mbappé Shines
Real Madrid’s attacking onslaught continued, and Mbappé was at the heart of it. In the 33rd minute, a driving run from midfield led to a parried shot, which Lucas Vázquez recovered before assisting Brahim Díaz for a composed finish to make it 2-1.
Just minutes later, Mbappé completed his brace, coolly slotting home a Rodrygo pass with a precise finish into the bottom corner (3-1). The Frenchman thought he had completed a first-half hat-trick, but VAR ruled him offside, keeping the scoreline intact at halftime.
Second-Half Control
Madrid dominated the second half with no letup in intensity. Dani Ceballos slipped a clever pass to Bellingham in the 49th minute, but his attempt found the side netting. The fourth goal arrived soon after, as Fran García delivered a perfect low cross for Rodrygo, who fired it past Cillessen in the 54th minute.
Las Palmas faced an uphill battle when Benito was sent off in the 63rd minute following a dangerous tackle on Lucas Vázquez. VAR intervened, upgrading the yellow card to a straight red.
Alaba received a standing ovation when he replaced Rüdiger in the 75th minute, marking his return from a long-term injury. Valverde and Bellingham came close to adding more goals, but VAR twice disallowed efforts—one for offside on Valverde’s free-kick strike and another for Lucas Vázquez’s positioning in the build-up to Valverde’s long-range effort.
Dominance Restored
Real Madrid’s 14th league victory of the season solidified their place at the top of the table, showcasing their resilience and firepower. With Mbappé in scintillating form, Brahim’s growing contributions, and Alaba back in the squad, Los Blancos look poised for a strong campaign in La Liga.
Although he wasn’t on the scoresheet, Jude Bellingham had the ball in the back of the net on 75 mins but after a VAR review, it was ruled out as Antonio Rudiger was offside.
He wont be too disappointed however as before the match he received the EA Sports LaLiga Player of the Month award for December before the Real Madrid -Las Palmas game.
The midfielder was voted for by fans after scoring four goals and providing two assists in the five league games he played last month.
Main image courtesy Real Madrid
