Real Madrid scrape win over Rayo, Athletic claim derby draw
Kylian Mbappe kept his composure to convert a penalty in the 100th minute, securing a 2-1 victory for Real Madrid against nine-man Rayo Vallecano during a heated La Liga derby on Sunday.
In other action, Athletic Bilbao equalised late to earn a 1-1 draw in the Basque derby versus Real Sociedad, while Real Betis climbed to fifth place with a 2-1 triumph away to Valencia.
The win narrowed Barcelona's advantage at the summit to just one point, following the Spanish champions' Saturday victory over Elche.
Vinicius Junior opened the scoring for Madrid soon after Jude Bellingham was forced off with a hamstring issue, likely sidelining him for about a month.
Jorge de Frutos restored parity for Rayo shortly after the interval, prompting frustration from Madrid supporters in the wake of their recent Champions League loss to Benfica.
Once Pathe Ciss received his marching orders, the balance shifted towards Madrid, and Mbappe slotted away the late spot-kick for his 22nd league goal of the campaign.
Pep Chavarria also saw red late on for Rayo, who sit 17th and pushed a faltering Madrid all the way before succumbing.
Manager Alvaro Arbeloa acknowledged that building consistency would require time, now six matches into his tenure after succeeding Xabi Alonso.
"I'm not Gandalf the White," Arbeloa remarked to the press, alluding to the mythical sorcerer from the Lord of the Rings saga.
"From my squad, I seek the effort I'm witnessing: dedication, spirit, mindset, understanding that talent alone falls short for victories, reliability is essential... we'll focus on building that."
Arbeloa noted that Madrid must outperform rivals to secure results, given their prestigious reputation.
"This is Real Madrid, so to overcome Rayo Vallecano, we must exceed what other La Liga sides do," he added.
The boss highlighted Bellingham's early exit as a major setback for upcoming fixtures, including the Champions League playoff rematch with Jose Mourinho's Benfica.
Following the Portuguese setback that prevented direct qualification to the knockout stage, the Santiago Bernabeu faithful were harshly critical, booing their team despite pleas from Arbeloa and Mbappe before kick-off.
Vinicius, facing some hostility, put the home side in front with an excellent solo effort in the 15th minute.
Though dominant and ahead, Los Blancos drew whistles from their own crowd at half-time.
The situation deteriorated further as Rayo levelled just four minutes into the second period via De Frutos.
The away side nearly went ahead around the hour mark when Andrei Ratiu broke clear, only for Thibaut Courtois to make a brilliant save, while Mbappe struck the bar for Madrid.
Rayo self-destruct
Rayo compounded their troubles when Ciss was dismissed for a reckless challenge on Dani Ceballos.
Eduardo Camavinga nodded against the upright as Arbeloa's men increased the pressure.
In the ninth minute of added time, Madrid earned a penalty after Nobel Mendy tripped Brahim Diaz, and leading scorer Mbappe coolly finished it.
Rayo ended with nine players on the pitch after Chavarria picked up a second booking for barging into Rodrygo Goes.
"The key is progress, team development, staying composed, we cannot rely on rivals' errors every time," commented Madrid's Fede Valverde.
At Athletic Bilbao's San Mames, Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta's impressive individual strike rescued a share of the spoils against a strong Real Sociedad.
La Real maintained their solid run under new US coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, unbeaten in six outings, but had led through Goncalo Guedes' stunning 37th-minute strike from distance.
Brais Mendez was ejected for lashing out at Aitor Paredes, allowing Ruiz de Galarreta to surge forward and fire home with two minutes remaining.
The result positioned Real Sociedad in eighth, keeping European hopes alive amid their recent upturn.
"We merited all three points, dominating when numbers were even," said La Real's Carlos Soler to DAZN.
Ernesto Valverde's Athletic, in 11th, have not won in their past six league matches but will take relief from dodging a derby loss by the narrowest margin.
"It's been a tough period, many poor outcomes... fortunately, our late effort salvaged the draw," Ruiz de Galarreta reflected.