Real Madrid Recovers With Victory Over Alavés in Crucial La Liga Clash
2025-12-17 · La Liga
Real Madrid secured a vital 2-1 away victory against Deportivo Alavés in La Liga's 16th round, maintaining pressure on leaders Barcelona as the title race intensifies. With Xabi Alonso under scrutiny, this win momentarily steadies the team amid recent setbacks. Meanwhile, La Liga introduces a new daily reward feature for Fantasy managers, enhancing engagement this season.
Real Madrid traveled to Mendizorroza to face Deportivo Alavés in the 16th round of La Liga amidst mounting pressure on coach Xabi Alonso. Following recent losses to Celta and Manchester City, the clash represented a pivotal moment for the team and its manager, with a defeat potentially risking Alonso's tenure.
The match, played on Sunday, December 14, 2025, kicked off at 21:00 local time, attracting an intense atmosphere in the historic Alavés stadium that houses 20,000 fans. The referee assignment for the encounter was Víctor García Verdura, with VAR overseen by Pablo González Fuertes.
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé broke the deadlock in the first half with a powerful strike concluding a swift counterattack, registering a much-needed goal for the French forward who had been sidelined in recent fixtures. His effort gave the visitors an optimistic edge going into the break.
Shortly after the interval, Alavés' Carlos Vicente leveled the match, injecting hope into the home side hoping for an upset. However, Real Madrid responded swiftly as Rodrygo, combining impressively with Vinicius Jr., scored the decisive winner.
This hard-fought victory places Real Madrid second in the La Liga standings with 39 points, four points adrift of league leaders Barcelona, who continue to hold a slender advantage at the summit. Villarreal trails in third with 35 points but has two games in hand, signaling potential shifts in the table in forthcoming weeks.
The ongoing battle for Champions League qualification sees Espanyol emerge as a notable surprise, sitting fifth with 30 points. Meanwhile, relegation struggles persist for Levante, Real Oviedo, and Girona. This round also witnessed coaching changes for Real Sociedad and Real Oviedo, underscoring the high stakes of the competition.
Beyond the pitch, La Liga has launched an innovative "Recompensa diaria" feature in its official Fantasy game, allowing managers to claim daily financial rewards to bolster their squads. This initiative aims to enhance user engagement and provide strategic advantages through daily economic boosts, making the fantasy experience more dynamic throughout the 2025/26 season.
As the year draws to a close, all eyes will remain on Real Madrid's efforts to close the gap with Barcelona, who are set to finish 2025 atop the table irrespective of upcoming fixtures. The fight for La Liga glory promises more drama as clubs jockey for position in the critical second half of the campaign.