Vinicius Junior produced the second-half winner as Real Madrid moved level on points with LaLiga leaders Barcelona after Saturday's 2-1 win over Celta Vigo.

Kylian Mbappe gave Madrid the lead with a brilliant long-range strike in the 20th minute, yet Williot Swedberg equalised for the home side with a first-touch effort from a counter-attack shortly after half-time.

Carlo Ancelotti's side went ahead again when substitute Luka Modric, who became Madrid's oldest player in history, played Vinicius through before the Brazil winger rounded Vicente Guaita to score the winner.

It could have been a different story, however, if not for substitute Tasos Douvikas missing a golden opportunity to level late on.

Madrid held on, though, as victory left the champions second in the LaLiga standings on 24 points, level with leaders Barcelona before their game in hand at home to Sevilla on Sunday. 

Data Debrief: Vinicius the hero on Modric's landmark game

Vinicius has been involved in at least one goal in each of his last six LaLiga games (four goals and three assists), his best such run in the competition.

It proved a landmark game for substitute Modric, too, as the Croatia midfielder became Madrid's oldest player in history, aged 39 years and 40 days.

Modric moved past Madrid great Ferenc Puskas for the club record, while the midfielder has been part of 363 wins for Los Blancos, which is 22 more than nearest rival and former team-mate Karim Benzema.

This was his 547th appearance for the LaLiga champions as well, a tally no player can match since his debut for the club in August 2012.

Carlo Ancelotti's player management can turn Real Madrid's Endrick into a "great player", according to Brazil's World Cup winners Dida and Cafu. 

Endrick arrived in the Spanish capital from Palmeiras in July in a deal reportedly worth €60million, signing a six-year deal with the 15-time Champions League winners.

The 17-year-old has scored two goals in nine appearances across all competitions this season, though he has only featured for 107 minutes across those games. 

But Ancelotti has shown his faith in young players during his tenure with Los Blancos, with the likes of Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo all developing under his stewardship. 

Cafu, who made 119 appearances for Milan under Ancelotti, believes Endrick has the right man to guide him through the early stages of his promising career. 

"Ancelotti is a great coach, and he is really good at developing young players," Cafu told Stats Perform at Festival dello Sport in Trento, Italy.

"He's really good at managing them, he understands them and knows when it's the right time for them to play or when they need to stay on the bench.

"For someone like him he will be like a father who will give the right advice."

It was a sentiment echoed by Cafu's former Milan team-mate Dida, who hopes he can become an important player for Brazil ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

"We all know Carlo [Ancelotti], he knows how to manage all the champions," Dida added. 

"He knows how to make these kids grow even if they are already in an important team.

"And that is certainly something very nice for [Endrick], we hope he does well because he is a Brazilian who will surely do well with the [Brazil] national team.

"I hope that our national team always works with this type of players and we hope that Carlo, as always, does his job."

Endrick was picked for the Brazil national team for the first time in November 2023, becoming the youngest male player to secure a senior call-up since Ronaldo Nazario in 1994.

He netted his first goal for his national side in a 1-0 win over England at Wembley back in March this year, scoring again three days later in an entertaining draw with Spain.

Endrick was also part of Dorival Junior's squad for the Copa America.

After three substitute appearances in the group stage, he made his first start for Brazil, replacing Vinícius who was suspended for their quarter-final against Uruguay. 

However, he struggled during the contest, completing just one pass during the match, from kick-off, as they crashed out on penalties to Marcelo Bielsa's side. 

Though showing only glimpses of what he can become, Cafu believes the sky is the limit for Endrick. 

"Endrick can become a great player. He's young and has enormous potential and can grow a lot," Cafu concluded. "With Ancelotti as a manager, I'm sure he can become a top player."

Carlo Ancelotti is hopeful Real Madrid can bounce back from their shock Champions League loss to Lille, despite the short turnaround before Villarreal.

Madrid return to LaLiga action on the back of the 1-0 defeat to the French side, with Jonathan David's penalty enough to deny the holders a victory.

It also ended their 36-match unbeaten run in all competitions and was their first Champions League group-stage defeat since October 2022 against RB Leipzig.

Ancelotti's side have now failed to win their last two, having also conceded a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid last weekend, but he is confident the team will be back to winning ways soon.

"[Villarreal] are doing really well. Saturday, it's an opportunity for us to reconnect, to get back to playing good football," Ancelotti told a press conference on Friday.

"[The mood] is fine, as always. [Wednesday's] defeat is an opportunity, if we take it and react well. We are self-critical. There are times when you have to reconnect and you need to do it quickly.

"Sometimes a good run makes you think you're invincible, but a defeat brings you back to reality. We are still not at our level, we have players who are not at their best.

"We are not far from where we want to be. There is a lack of defensive intensity and, offensively, a lack of ball circulation."

Coming off a remarkable 2023-24 season in which they won the LaLiga and Champions League double, Madrid are second in the Spanish top-flight standings on 18 points, three behind leaders Barcelona and one ahead of Villarreal.

Ancelotti expects to get Kylian Mbappe back into the starting team after the forward missed last weekend's derby against Atletico and came off the bench at Lille due to a hamstring injury, which led to France manager Didier Deschamps leaving his captain out of the squad for next week's Nations League matches against Israel and Belgium.

"He has had a problem that seems to have been solved. He has trained normally," Ancelotti said.

"I don't get involved in what national coaches do. Deschamps has decided not to call him. We need to get the ball to the strikers quicker and we lack defensive intensity."

Real Madrid will make a late call on whether Kylian Mbappe is ready to return to the side for their Champions League clash at Lille, so says Carlo Ancelotti.

Mbappe sustained a muscle injury during Madrid's 3-2 win over Deportivo Alaves in September.

He was subsequently forced to sit out Sunday's derby against Atletico Madrid, which finished 1-1, and was expected to miss around three weeks.

However, the 25-year-old has recovered sufficiently to travel to northern France for Wednesday's Champions League tie.

"Mbappe has recovered very well, very quickly," Ancelotti said.

"He trained yesterday, and today, he will do the full training session with us. Then we'll make the decision together because the last thing we want to do is take risks.

"Mbappe has had an overload... and in less than a week he has recovered well.

"He wanted to travel to play. We'll see what training he does today. If he's at full strength, he can play. If there is no risk, he will play from the first minute."

Madrid are second in LaLiga, three points behind rivals Barcelona after eight matches.

And Ancelotti knows there is room for improvement, especially when they face Lille, who sit fifth in Ligue 1.

"We have to get points, taking into account the value of the opponent. They are a team that plays very well. They like to play with the ball, they have young players with quality," the Italian said.

"Every match has to be fought. That's why we're here. We are doing well. We are convinced we can improve. We are ready. There are a lot of games, but we are pretty good."

Ancelotti was also asked about the heated Madrid derby. On Monday, Atletico permanently banned a fan for throwing an object onto the pitch during the game at the Metropolitano Stadium.

The derby was suspended for just over 20 minutes after home fans hurled objects onto the pitch as the visitors celebrated the opening goal.

"The point is that violent people are not allowed in football. Not at Atletico, but on any pitch. Football doesn't need them," Ancelotti said.

"Let them stay somewhere else, somewhere that is not dangerous. I'm talking in general. Whether it's a violent person from Madrid, Barca, Atleti, Villarreal, it doesn't matter. Let the violent ones leave us in peace."

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti believes Sunday's derby draw with Atletico Madrid could prove to be an important result in the future, despite their last-gasp concession.

Madrid were on course to move within a point of Barcelona – who saw their unbeaten start to the season ended by Osasuna on Saturday – in LaLiga when Eder Militao opened the scoring after 64 minutes.

However, after a 15-minute stoppage due to members of the crowd throwing objects at Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, Angel Correa snatched a 95th-minute leveller for Atleti.

The Argentine's strike was the first stoppage-time goal scored by Atleti in a Madrid derby this century, as both teams maintained their unbeaten starts to the campaign.

Ancelotti was frustrated to drop two points but feels the result was still a positive one, telling reporters: "It is hard to cope with a draw when we were very close to winning.

"It can happen, the opponents are very strong and have a lot of quality. Their goal was in the last minute, it's a pity. We controlled the game well, we came close.

"But I always like to think positively. We've won a point away from home and we are a point closer [to Barcelona].

"The dynamic is good, we are in contention and we don't despair, a draw here can mean a good point for the future."

Referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer took both teams off the pitch in the aftermath of Militao's opening goal as objects rained down from the stands, causing Atleti boss Diego Simeone to say Los Colchoneros "do not need these people".

Ancelotti hailed the officials' reaction to the incident and said the stoppage had not affected the flow of the game, adding: "I don't think it helped Atletico, it affected us both equally.

"We all wanted to play. The decision to stop the match was the right one. The referee said that lighters were thrown and that he had stopped the match twice, if they threw another one, he had to suspend it.

"I think it was a correct decision by the referee. It had to stop, a few things were sorted out, and we started again. Obviously, none of us liked the situation. Everyone wanted to play. The referee acted well."

Carlo Ancelotti is aiming to avenge Real Madrid's two defeats to rivals Atletico Madrid last season when they travel to the Metropolitano Stadium on Sunday. 

On their way to a 15th LaLiga crown, Madrid lost their only game of the league season in a 3-1 defeat to Diego Simeone's side in September. 

Atletico also knocked Los Blancos out of the Copa Del Ray in the last 16, while their reverse fixture later in LaLiga ended in a 1-1 draw. 

This weekend's hosts have won two of their last three home derbies against Madrid in the league (L1), while also entering the upcoming derby in impressive form.

Atletico have not lost any of their last eight league matches (W5 D3), their best unbeaten run in LaLiga since a 13-match run at the start of last year. 

During Simeone's Atletico tenure, he has 12 wins in his 43 derbies as their head coach against Madrid in all competitions (D15 L16), the same as the number of wins they achieved in their previous 77 meetings with Los Blancos before his arrival. 

Ancelotti also has a poor record against his opposite number, losing nine of his 24 matches against Simeone across all competitions (W9 D6). 

Only against Luciano Spalletti (11) has he suffered more defeats in his entire managerial career, and Ancelotti is expecting another difficult test for his side. 

"It's obvious that we have to avoid the mistakes of last year. That learning could be useful for tomorrow's game. It is a difficult stadium," Ancelotti told reporters.

"I think Atletico have improved a lot, they've signed good players and I think they'll fight until the end for this League with us and with Barcelona."

Madrid, however, will be without their leading marksman Kylian Mbappe, who has been ruled out for three weeks with a hamstring injury.

Mbappe has seven goals in his first nine appearances for Los Blancos in all competitions, racking up more shots (39) than any other player in LaLiga, while also recording a division-high expected goals (xG) total of 6.97. 

But Ancelotti insisted nothing changes for his players in the Frenchman's absence as they aim to keep the pressure on league leaders Barcelona.

"Without Mbappe it changes a little, but not much. It's a shame that he's not here but we can make up for him well," the Italian coach added.

"Camavinga has recovered well, he is in good condition. If a player is available, he can play 90 minutes or none at all."

Kylian Mbappe is likely to miss this weekend's Madrid derby after picking up an injury in Real Madrid's 3-2 win over Deportivo Alaves on Tuesday. 

Mbappe, who scored Los Blancos' second goal of the night, was replaced by Arda Guler in the 80th minute and was seen gesturing to his thigh as he left the pitch. 

The Frenchman's sensational start to life in the Spanish capital has seen him score seven goals in his first nine appearances in all competitions.

Mbappe has also produced more shots on target (19) than anyone in LaLiga so far, netting five of the 10 big chances he has been presented with. 

But head coach Carlo Ancelotti could be without his star striker against Atletico Madrid this weekend. 

"Following tests carried out today by Real Madrid's Medical Services on our player Kylian Mbappe, he has been diagnosed with an injury to the biceps femoris in his left leg," Real said in a statement.

"His progress will be monitored."

Real's midweek victory moved them to within a point of league leaders Barcelona, who face Getafe on Wednesday. 

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti was not unduly worried after his side were made to survive a late rally in their 3-2 victory over Alaves in LaLiga on Tuesday.

Goals from Lucas Vazquez, Kylian Mbappe and Rodrygo had Madrid cruising at the Santiago Bernabeu, only for Alaves to threaten a comeback with two goals in as many minutes late on.

Los Blancos held on for victory in what was Ancelotti's 300th game in charge, making him just the second coach to reach that milestone with the club after Miguel Munoz (605 matches).

Madrid have already dropped points twice this season to trail Barcelona in LaLiga, but Ancelotti preferred to focus on the positives after Tuesday's game.

"This is football and when you think the game is over, you get distracted and allow your rival to score, you give them a confidence boost while your own confidence is shaken," he said. 

"It's something that happens all the time in football and it won't stop happening. Sure, we don't want that to happen to us, nobody does, but we need to highlight that for over 80 minutes our team played really, really well and that is what gives us confidence moving forward.

"For over an hour the team played very well, looking for opportunities in different ways, in transition, filtering passes through the opponent's lines... 

"The team is improving, it's good for us because the schedule is very demanding. Sunday's game [against Atletico Madrid] will also be very demanding."

Ancelotti added he was delighted with Mbappe's progress since his move from Paris Saint-Germain, praising his combination with Jude Bellingham for the second goal. 

"Mbappe is playing great, we are doing really well in attack," Ancelotti said.

"Bellingham is growing, he gave the assist to Mbappe and played a very complete game. He needs to get used to playing a bit more inside the box, like he did last year.

"It's more complicated against a team with a low block like Alaves. What I ask Bellingham is to do that kind of work, not to score goals. With the players we have, we can score at any moment." 

Madrid's opening goalscorer Vazquez, meanwhile, told Los Blancos to sharpen up after their late scare.

"It's a shame that with the performance that we were putting throughout the match, it had to finish the way that it did," Vazquez told Real Madrid TV.

"We played a great game until the 88th minute, when two lapses in concentration led to two goals and we had to suffer a bit more than we should have.

"We didn't deserve this ending, with the game we had played, but let's look on the bright side, we did a lot of things right."

Real Madrid fended off a late comeback from Deportivo Alaves to win 3-2 and ensure Carlo Ancelotti tasted victory in his 300th match.

Reigning LaLiga champions Madrid were cruising to victory at Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday as goals from Lucas Vazquez, Kylian Mbappe and Rodrygo put them 3-0 up.

Carlos Benavidez and Kike Garcia scored in the 85th and 86th minutes for Alaves but Madrid held on to win a match they had mostly dominated.

Madrid opened the scoring under a minute after kick-off when Vinicius Junior took a long Federico Valverde pass in his stride and ran up the left channel before setting up full-back Vazquez, who fired home from close range.

Los Blancos extended their lead in the 40th minute when Mbappe played a neat one-two with Jude Bellingham before cutting inside and slotting in a tidy finish, keeping up his run of form in front of goal.

Rodrygo scored Madrid's third three minutes after the restart, placing a low shot under the goalkeeper's legs to finish off a quick counter-attack.

However, both Benavidez and Garcia capitalised on some poor defending to get Alaves back in the contest and set up a grandstand finale.

Thankfully for Ancelotti on his milestone game, Madrid regained their composure to get over the line.

Data Debrief: Madrid close in on Barca record

It is now 39 games unbeaten for Madrid in LaLiga. They are just the second team in the history of the competition to have such a long unbeaten run, after Barcelona in 2018 (43 games).

Ancelotti, meanwhile, was able to celebrate his landmark match in the end. He is just the second coach in Madrid history to oversee 300 matches in charge, after Migue Munoz.

The Italian has won 216 games, drawing 45 times and losing on 39 occasions.

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has no plans to end his glittering career anytime soon as he prepares to take charge of Los Blancos for the 300th time, versus Alaves in LaLiga on Tuesday.

Ancelotti has taken charge of Madrid 299 times across two spells, overseeing 119 games between 2013 and 2015, winning the Copa del Rey in 2013-14 and also leading the Spanish giants to their long-awaited 10th European Cup/Champions League crown.

Since returning to the Santiago Bernabeu in 2021, Ancelotti has overseen a further 180 matches, leading the side to two more Champions League successes, two domestic title triumphs and a further Copa del Rey win.

Ancelotti – who last season became the first coach to win the European Cup/Champions League on five occasions – turned 65 in June, but he intends to coach at the top level for some time yet.

"I'm not thinking about my future whatsoever, I love this job," Ancelotti told reporters at a press conference on Monday.

"I have been lucky enough to coach great clubs, tomorrow it will be my 300th game at the best club in the world, it is something special to be in this dugout, to do it 300 times is not quite a miracle, but it is almost a miracle.

"Sure, you can't compare my tiredness to that of the players. There is pressure, responsibility, but I love it. At the moment I don't see myself as having an expiry date, I'd love to stay here for many years to come."

Madrid's only two losses across all competitions last season were both to local rivals Atletico Madrid, a 3-1 defeat in LaLiga on September 24, 2023, and a 4-2 extra-time loss in the Copa del Rey in January.

Should they avoid defeat versus Alaves on Tuesday, they will have completed a full calendar year unbeaten in LaLiga.

They have gone 38 league matches without defeat, closing in on the record held by Barcelona, who went 43 games without losing between April 2017 and May 2018.

The coach praised the resilience of his players, who have repeatedly found ways to salvage results despite injuries biting hard in recent weeks.

"Some records are about winning and others are about not losing. We are coming from a very long run and that means a lot of success, because draws often help you a lot," Ancelotti said.

"I think that in football, if you can't win, at least don't lose. Sometimes a draw gives a better feeling than a defeat. 

"Defeat gives options to improve, that's true. But our success in the Champions League in the past lies in our solidity, in the way we compete.

"It has taken us a while to find this solidity at the start of the season, but we are going to find it, because the mental attitude of the players is very good."

Madrid are second in the LaLiga standings on 14 points, four behind leaders Barcelona, who host Getafe on Wednesday.

Luka Modric lauded Real Madrid's attacking ranks as the LaLiga champions fought from behind to thrash Espanyol 4-1 on Saturday.

Thibaut Courtois' blunder handed the visitors a shock lead in the 54th minute, only for Dani Carvajal to level four minutes later after Jude Bellingham's cross was spilled by Joan Garcia.

Vinicius Junior's introduction breathed life into Carlo Ancelotti's side, however, teeing up Rodrygo's first-time finish with 15 minutes remaining.

Brazil star Vinicius followed that up with a goal of his own to make it 3-1 before Kylian Mbappe sealed all three points with his third penalty in as many LaLiga games.

Madrid captain Modric still saw room for improvement but acknowledged the attacking quality Los Blancos have after moving one point behind leaders Barcelona, who visit Villarreal on Sunday.

"We played a very good game but it's true that it was difficult for us to finish plays. We created a lot of chances but we have a lot of room for improvement," Modric told Movistar Plus.

"I don't know if it was our best or not but it was a great game, from start to finish. We must continue like today. To have Vinicius, Mbappe, Bellingham and Rodrygo is awesome; they are great.

"They and the whole team are doing everything right but we still can improve; we'll keep going in the next few games until we feel we reach out true potential. This match can give us confidence."

Vinicius was left on the bench but his second-half impact saw him both score and assist in a single Madrid game as a substitute for the first time in his career across all competitions (272 games).

That set the stage for Mbappe to put the result beyond any doubt, becoming just the second Madrid player this decade to score penalties in three straight LaLiga games, after his compatriot Karim Benzema.

A fine fightback performance left Ancelotti delighted, though the Madrid head coach was still cautious, primarily due to managing Bellingham's troublesome should injury.

"We started well and reacted well after the 1-0, it was complete," Ancelotti said, as quoted by AS.

"We played better than in other games; with more rhythm and generating more opportunities. I'm happy.

"Jude has had the shoulder problem and it has resolved well. He was able to play the whole game without any problem.

"He's always played with protection. A month ago he took it off because he was fine, but he has had this problem again. I don't think it will be a problem, although it must be taken care of, obviously."

Carlo Ancelotti brushed aside criticism of Real Madrid's unattractive style, saying winning was more important than playing well.

Madrid are unbeaten with five victories across seven games in all competitions this season (two draws), and they got off to a winning start in their Champions League defence on Tuesday, beating Stuttgart 3-1.

In LaLiga, they have won their last two games 2-0 against Real Betis and Real Sociedad, but have still come under fire for their performances.

Ancelotti, however, defended his team's style ahead of their clash at home to mid-table Espanyol.

"Real Madrid fans prefer winning over playing well," he said.

"Ideally you want both, winning while playing an attractive style of football, but our main objective is pleasing our fans who are very demanding, so we will keep our focus on winning as we know that our squad is still far away from ideal form.

"We are not at our best and that is normal in the beginning of a demanding calendar. We will improve as the season starts to get into the important things to play for.

"For the moment we are in, we are doing well." 

The Italian added he was not worried about the poor form of forwards Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe, who are still a work in progress despite playing better each week.

Mbappe has scored five goals already this campaign, while Vinicius also netted in their last league game, and Ancelotti is confident they will be back to their best soon.

"[The criticism] doesn't bother me because I see that the fans are delighted," Ancelotti said.

"You can play better, but the fans are used to our 'rock and roll' football. Not a lot of touches. We try to make the Madrid fans happy. And our game is about intensity, pace... Without wasting too much time in reaching the opponent's goal.

"These are our characteristics. We have players with a lot of strength and speed, especially on the ball, and we have to take advantage of that.

"For me, I believe that beautiful football depends on the characteristics of the players I have. Attacking well, defending well ... playing well on the counter. There are many facets and everyone has their own opinion..."

Barcelona top the LaLiga standings with 15 points, four ahead of Atletico Madrid, Madrid and Villarreal.

Carlo Ancelotti hailed Endrick's display in Real Madrid's 3-1 win over Stuttgart in the Champions League, saying he has unique gifts that set him apart. 

Endrick emerged from the bench to notch Madrid's final goal of a nervy encounter, striking from distance and beating Alexander Nubel in the bottom corner. 

The Brazilian's effort saw him become the youngest South American player to score on his Champions League debut, aged 18 years and 58 days.

Endrick is also the youngest to score on his Los Blancos debut in the competition, overtaking Javier Portillo in 2002 (19 years, 355 days).

"He is able to do things that no-one can think of," Ancelotti said. 

"He has the gift that strikers dream of, the gift of being very effective, decisive.

"You can see that he has something special, something I have never seen. And he has such a strong and very fast shooting.

"Endrick had courage because it was the last ball of the game.

"The best solution was to take advantage of the three against one, with Vinicius and Rodrygo open in the wings, but he did it very well, even though it was perhaps the most complicated solution."

But the reigning champions did not have it all their own way at the Santiago Bernabeu, with their German opposition creating several opportunities on the night. 

Stuttgart ended the match with 17 shots, seven of which were on target, while also producing an expected goals (xG) tally of 1.94 compared to Madrid's 2.61. 

However, they were thwarted by the hands of Thibaut Courtois, with the Belgian making six saves throughout the contest. 

Ancelotti was pleased with his side's start to the defence of their European crown, but said improvements were needed if they were to secure a 16th Champions League title. 

"If anyone thinks that winning games is easy, they are wrong," Ancelotti said. 

“I have coached more than 200 games in the Champions League and I can't remember a game without suffering.

"Nobody knows better than Real Madrid what it's like to win a Champions League with suffering.

"We are still trying to find our best version. It's a work in progress." 

Carlo Ancelotti said Real Madrid were not dominant enough to deserve their 2-0 win at Real Sociedad on Saturday.

After a tight first half, which saw Los Blancos manage just two shots on target, they secured all three points thanks to second-half penalties from Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe.

They were far from their best though, accumulating just 0.6 expected goals from 16 shots (six on target), while they just edged possession with 52%.

However, Ancelotti praised his players' resilience and was proud of how they were able to endure the home side's pressure.

"It was a complicated match. We didn't deserve to win, because Real Sociedad pushed us really hard," he told a press conference.

"We held on and suffered, showed character and a lot of commitment. I value that a lot because it's not easy to find commitment in a team with so much talent and quality, and today we did it.

"I leave very satisfied, and then we have to be self-critical in order to improve. It's a great opportunity for us to assess what we didn't do well but with three more points in the table."

Madrid are second on 11 points, one behind Barcelona who visit fifth-placed Girona on Sunday.

Ancelotti acknowledged his side were struggling with fatigue and poor form, but said it was to be expected due to a busy calendar, coming off the back of the international break.

The Italian said he saw improvement in Mbappe's performance as the France captain settles in at his new club, having scored his third goal for Madrid on Saturday.

"We can talk about all the problems in the world with this match, but the important thing was to get out with a win," added Ancelotti, who was without midfielders Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Ceballos and Aurelien Tchouameni.

"We have to take into account that we are not at 100%. It's normal, we don't have four midfielders who are injured. I value a lot the work of those who have played.

"I see Mbappe fresher, more active. He's very dangerous and combines well with Vinicius and the other forwards. He is improving a lot. I liked his game a lot."

Madrid now turn their attention to their Champions League title defence which starts on Tuesday against Stuttgart.

Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe both scored penalties as Real Madrid saw off Real Sociedad 2-0 at the Reale Arena.

Carlo Ancelotti's side moved to within a point of LaLiga leaders Barcelona, who visit fifth-place Girona on Sunday.

Already without the likes of Jude Bellingham, David Alaba, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni, Madrid suffered another injury blow in the 24th minute when Brahim Diaz was forced off with a muscular issue.

After a goalless first half, the visitors broke through 13 minutes after the restart with Vinicius slotting home from 12 yards after Sergio Gomez handled Arda Guler's shot.

Vinicus was then felled for Madrid's second penalty, which was awarded following a VAR review, with Mbappe making no mistake in sealing all three points.

Data Debrief: Madrid extend unbeaten streak

Extending their unbeaten LaLiga streak to 37 matches, Madrid have now won four successive away league games against Basque opposition for the first time since a run of four such victories between 2011 and 2013.

By contrast, Sociedad have now suffered four straight home defeats in the Spanish top flight for the first time since 2007.