Madrid, Jan 26 (IANS) Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick as Real Madrid moved four points clear at the top of La Liga with a comfortable away win against Valladolid, while Atletico Madrid were held at home to Villarreal.
Mbappe opened the scoring after 30 minutes after exchanging passes with Jude Bellingham and scored his second of the game 10 minutes into the second half after Rodrygo drove forward and slipped the ball to the left, allowing Mbappe to cut inside and score with a right foot shot.
Real Madrid were given their 10th penalty of the season in the closing minute for a foul on Bellingham, while Valladolid defender Mario Martin was sent off, with Mbappe scoring from the spot to make it 3-0 and complete his hat trick, reports Xinhua.
Atletico Madrid dropped two points in their title chase as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to fifth-placed Villarreal.
Atletico coach Diego Simeone left Antoine Griezmann and Rodrigo de Paul out of his starting 11, with an eye on next week’s vital Champions League away game to Salzburg and his side paid the price in a dull first half.
Neither side created much in attack, but Villarreal took the lead from the penalty spot after Gerard Moreno was brought down by Reinildo Mandava, with Atletico’s players insisting the left-back had made contact with the ball.
Moreno made no mistake from the penalty spot, although Samuel Lino equalized as he fired home after Angel Correa’s shot was only parried. Atletico were unable to take any of the chances they created in the closing half-hour.
Cedric Bakambu scored a97th-minutee header to give Betis a 1-0 win away to Mallorca, who had the better of the game and the better chances until they were reduced to 10 men in the 70th minute when midfielder Omar Mascarell was shown a slightly rigorous red card.
Espanyol claimed an important point in their efforts to avoid relegation thanks to a 1-1 draw away to Sevilla, with Marash Kumbulla stabbing home for the visitors after a corner, before Loic Bade assured a point for Sevilla, curling in from outside of the area just eight minutes after seeing a goal ruled out for a prior foul.
A late free kick from Adnan Januzaj saved a point for Las Palmas and denied Osasuna their first league win in nine games in a game where referee Gil Manzano showed 15 yellow cards and also sent off Las Palmas midfielder Dario Essugo.
Aimar Oroz had given Osasuna a deserved lead early in the second half, but Januzaj’s free kick through the Osasuna wall in the 98th minute denied the visitors a deserved win.
–IANS
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