Real Madrid beats Real Sociedad 4-1 to take La Liga lead

Vinicius Junior won and converted two penalties in Real Madrid‘s 4-1 rout, becoming only the second player to achieve the feat in La Liga history.beinsports
Trent Alexander-Arnold returned from injury to assist the opener, while Dani Carvajal made his first league appearance since October.aljazeera
Kylian Mbappé sat out with knee discomfort as Madrid claimed their eighth straight league win and ended Sociedad’s 11-match unbeaten run.aljazeera

Real Madrid Tops La Liga with 4-1 Win Over Real Sociedad

Vinicius Junior scored two penalties as Real Madrid surged to the top of La Liga with a commanding 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday, ending the visitors’ 11-game unbeaten streak across all competitions.aljazeera

The win moves Alvaro Arbeloa’s side two points clear of defending champions Barcelona ahead of their match against Girona on Monday, marking Real Madrid’s eighth consecutive league victory.beinsports

Vinicius Makes History From the Spot

Trent Alexander-Arnold, making his first start since December 3 after recovering from injury, delivered a superb cross just five minutes in that Gonzalo Garcia turned home for the opener. The young forward had other chances throughout the match but could not add to his tally.aljazeera

Real Sociedad equalized from the penalty spot in the 21st minute when Dean Huijsen clumsily fouled Yangel Herrera, allowing Mikel Oyarzabal to level the scores. However, parity lasted only four minutes as Jon Aramburu brought down Vinicius in the area, with the Brazilian confidently converting the resulting penalty.beinsports

Vinicius became only the second player on record to win and score two or more penalties in the same La Liga match, after Neymar accomplished the feat for Barcelona against Rayo Vallecano in October 2015. Aramburu, meanwhile, became the first player to concede multiple penalties in a La Liga match since December 2023.beinsports

Valverde Strikes, Carvajal Returns

Federico Valverde extended the lead in the 31st minute with a trademark strike from outside the box, curling a precise finish into the top-right corner after a layoff from Alvaro Carreras. The Uruguayan’s goal marked his first in La Liga this season.beinsports

Just 67 seconds into the second half, Vinicius won and converted his second penalty after Aramburu again fouled him on a swift counter. The winger thought he had completed his hat-trick in the 89th minute with a header from a free kick, but the effort was ruled out for offside.straitstimes

Dani Carvajal made his long-awaited return to league action around the hour mark, replacing Alexander-Arnold for his first La Liga appearance since Real Madrid’s 2-1 defeat to Barcelona in October.aljazeera

Mbappé Watches From the Sidelines

Kylian Mbappé, who has been dealing with discomfort in his left knee, missed several training sessions earlier in the week and remained on the substitutes’ bench despite being declared fit by Arbeloa on Friday. Jude Bellingham also watched from the sidelines as he recovers from a hamstring injury.foxsports

Real Madrid have now won 13 penalties in La Liga this season, at least four more than any other team in Europe’s top five leagues.beinsports