Mbappe penalty and Diomande strike sink Racing 3-0 as Madrid closes gap on Barcelona

Kylian Mbappé scored an 11th-minute penalty to lead Real Madrid to a 3-0 victory over Racing Santander on Sunday. The win keeps the Madrid club within striking distance of league leader Barcelona in La Liga.

Mbappé converted a spot kick after contact in the box, extending his season total to 12 goals in the league. He also assisted on Jude Bellingham’s goal, which arrived midway through the first half. Yan Diomandé, a summer signing, fired a powerful shot before halftime to seal the result.

Jose Mourinho, who returned to the Spanish capital for a second stint as manager this season, acknowledged the importance of the result. He stated that while the scoreline could have been higher, the team avoided complications in a key week. The manager noted that the squad is growing and that he is pleased with their progressive development in under four months.

Mourinho explained that he was mentally preparing for the upcoming Champions League match against AEK in Athens. He chose to rest players who were not expected to start on Wednesday, describing the clean sheet as a gift from La Liga. The Madrid side now sits in third place, one point behind Atlético Madrid and three points behind Barcelona.

The match took place under a somber atmosphere, as La Liga observed a minute of silence before all weekend fixtures. The pause honored the victims of a fatal train accident in Spain. In other results from the weekend, Athletic Bilbao came from behind to defeat Real Sociedad 2-1 in a Basque derby, with goals from Iñaki Williams and Alex Berenguer.

Getafe also reversed an early deficit to beat Sevilla 3-1. Uruguayan forward Martín Satriano provided an assist for Enes Ünal’s equalizer and scored the third goal in the 74th minute. Belgian midfielder Orel Mangala added the final goal in stoppage time. Valencia secured a 1-0 win at Elche, with Nigerian striker Umar Sadiq scoring in the 69th minute.

Despite the victory, Valencia remains in a relegation spot under manager Javier Aguirre. On the sidelines, Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni struck a young fan in the stands with a shot early in the second half. The child began crying immediately but did not appear to be seriously injured. After the match, Tchouamé met with the boy and his father to present a signed jersey.