MADRID – A penalty from Kylian Mbappe in the 10th minute of stoppage time earned Real Madrid a hard-fought 2-1 victory over local rivals Rayo Vallecano in LaLiga on Sunday.
Vinicius Jr opened the scoring in the 16th minute, curling a shot into the top corner.
However, Rayo equalised shortly after halftime through Jorge de Frutos, who fired home from a headed assist by Alvaro Garcia in the 49th minute.
Rayo were reduced to 10 men after Pathe Ciss saw red for a reckless tackle on Dani Ceballos. The match seemed destined for a draw before Nobel Mendy’s clumsy challenge on Brahim Diaz handed the locals a lifeline deep into stoppage time, with Mbappe converting the spot kick.
Earlier this year, fans and the club were concerned about Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé’s availability for upcoming La Liga matches and the Spanish Supercopa after he was diagnosed with a left knee injury.
The Spanish club issued an official statement, saying, “Following tests carried out today by Real Madrid Medical Services on our player Kylian Mbappé, he has been diagnosed with a sprain in his left knee.” The club added that “his progress will be monitored” as they await the recovery of their star forward.
The news has sparked a global “Get Well Soon” trend on social media, fueled by the player’s massive international following.