Real Madrid secured a well-deserved 2-0 away victory against Villarreal in their La Liga match, maintaining their dominance at the top of the table at this crucial stage of the season.
With this win, Real Madrid increased their points tally to 51, securing first place in the La Liga standings. Barcelona sits in second place with 49 points, though they have a game in hand, keeping the title race wide open until the very end.
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While French star Kylian Mbappé was the star of the show, scoring both goals, the spotlight within Real Madrid fell on another player whose performance, while not directly reflected in the statistics, proved decisive in the match.
According to the Spanish newspaper Defensa Central, Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa highly praised the performance of Spanish left-back Álvaro Carreras, considering him one of the key reasons for securing the three points at Villarreal’s challenging stadium.
Carreras delivered a top-class defensive performance, successfully neutralizing Villarreal’s most potent attacking threat: their right flank, a key area of play for the Yellow Submarine. Remarkably, this dominance came despite Vinicius Junior’s failure to track back defensively for much of the match, leaving Carreras almost alone against the opponent’s most dangerous player.
The Spanish full-back displayed excellent game reading, high tactical discipline, and crucial interventions that closed down spaces and prevented Villarreal from exploiting their main weapon. This gave Real Madrid a solid defensive foundation, which directly contributed to their control of the game.
While Mbappé stole the headlines with his brace, Carreras sent a powerful message to the Real Madrid camp: that major victories are not achieved solely through goals, but also through quiet hard work and winning individual battles. This could open doors for him to assume a more prominent role in the future, given the increasing competition on all fronts.
