Real Madrid edge Valencia to stay on Barca's tail, Atletico slump
Kylian Mbappe netted his 23rd La Liga goal of the campaign, aiding Real Madrid in securing a hard fought 2 0 victory over Valencia on Sunday, narrowing the distance to table toppers Barcelona to just one point.
Atletico Madrid, sitting third, suffered a 1 0 home loss against Real Betis, mere days after dominating the same opponents in the Copa del Rey, which widened the gap to the leading duo.
With Spanish title holders Barcelona having triumphed over Mallorca the previous day, Alvaro Arbeloa's Madrid squeezed out a narrow success at Mestalla to maintain the chase on their fierce competitors.
Without the banned striker Vinicius Junior and sidelined midfielder Jude Bellingham, Los Blancos showed little flair but managed sufficient effort to grab three points along Spains eastern seaboard.
Alvaro Carreras opened the scoring for the away team in the middle of the second period, and Mbappe added a late finish to confirm their triumph.
"We knew it would demand plenty of patience from us. Our success stemmed from our defensive solidity and concentrated display," Arbeloa commented.
"We deserved the result in the end."
Trent Alexander Arnold, the England international, returned from injury as a second half substitute during Madrids win.
Arda Guler and Mbappe created opportunities before the break, while Madrids academy product and right back David Jimenez went nearest to finding the net, only stopped by keeper Stole Dimitrievski.
In the second halves midpoint, Carreras crafted a strike from thin air to edge Madrid in front.
Approaching from the left flank, the full back employed his less dominant right boot to guide the ball into the keepers near upright.
Valencia nearly equalised, but Lucas Beltrans volley on the full grazed the upright.
Madrid locked in the victory during added time when Brahim Diaz set up leagues leading marksman Mbappe for a tap in from near distance.
"Hes the top talent globally at present, based on his consistent showings match by match," Arbeloa stated, adding that Mbappe might match the achievements of his childhood hero Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid.
"As Ive mentioned previously, Cristiano appeared otherworldly, beyond replication, with no one nearing him, yet Kylian is progressing well, though its far from straightforward, but if possible, its him who can."
Some Valencia supporters had brandished white handkerchiefs mid game as a sign of discontent with the clubs plight, and they departed with Los Che in 17th spot, a single point clear of relegation danger.
"The supporters anxiety is understandable, Id feel the same," conceded Valencia skipper Jose Gaya to DAZN.
Revenge mission
Antony notched in the opening period to propel Betis to victory at Atletico, avenging their recent cup thrashing and positioning Atletico 13 points adrift of Barcelona.
Fifth placed Betis advanced their bid for a top four finish, now four points behind Villarreal in fourth, despite having two extra fixtures played compared to the Yellow Submarine.
Diego Simeones Atletico advanced to the Copa del Rey semi finals via a convincing 5 0 away win at Betis on Thursday, yet this league encounter at the Metropolitano proved much tighter.
"This loss stings following our strong cup performance. We fell short of Thursdays level," Atletico captain Koke told Movistar.
"They defended compactly, limiting our openings, while delivering an excellent performance themselves."
Betis manager Manuel Pellegrini altered his lineup with five switches from the side that faltered at home, and his players were keen to make amends in the capital.
"Delighted with the goal and especially the win, after such a challenging week," Antony remarked, having bent his shot past Jan Oblak into the near corner after 28 minutes.
"We needed to respond differently, no choice, and we apologise to fans for the cup result."
Atletico thought they had scored with 15 minutes left as Diego Llorente nodded Giuliano Simeones delivery into his own goal, but Antoine Griezmanns slight offside position and involvement in play led to disallowance.
In other action, Athletic Bilbao overcame Levante 4 2, Sevilla and Girona ended level at 1 1, and Getafe triumphed 2 0 away to Alaves.