What fans missed in Kylian Mbappé's shocking first-half 'Red' against Alavés for Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappe endured a nightmare afternoon at the Santiago Bernabéu as he was shown a straight red card in the first half of Real Madrid’s La Liga match against Deportivo Alavés on Sunday. The French forward received his marching orders just 38 minutes into the game following a dangerous studs-up challenge on Alaves midfielder Antonio Blanco.
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Initially shown a yellow card by referee César Soto Grado, the decision was swiftly upgraded to a red after a VAR review revealed the full extent of the reckless lunge. Mbappe charged into the tackle with excessive force, catching Blanco high and leaving the midfielder writhing in pain on the pitch. The referee's final decision left little room for debate, and Mbappe was dismissed without further incident.
This marks the first red card of Mbappe’s professional career and only the second time in the 21st century that a Real Madrid forward has been sent off in the first half of a La Liga fixture. The last instance came in 2008, when Ruud van Nistelrooy saw red against Atletico Madrid.
The incident caps off a tumultuous week for the French star, who struggled to make an impact during Real Madrid’s midweek Champions League defeat at the Emirates Stadium. The 2–0 loss to Arsenal, propelled by two sublime free-kicks from Declan Rice, reportedly led to a tense inquisition within the Madrid dressing room. Midfielder Federico Valverde is said to have rallied teammates, including Jude Bellingham and Mbappe, in a bid to push for an aggressive response in the second leg.
Mbappe now faces a possible three-match suspension, potentially sidelining him for crucial domestic fixtures as Real Madrid battles Barcelona in a tightly contested title race. With his absence looming large, manager Carlo Ancelotti will have to rely on other attacking options as Los Blancos look to regain momentum at a critical point in the season.
The red card not only dents Mbappe's image during a key stretch of the campaign but also places additional pressure on the star to respond on and off the pitch as scrutiny intensifies.
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