Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe was shown a straight red card during his team’s match away at Alaves on Sunday. The Frenchman went in high and late on opponent Antonio Blanco towards the end of the first half, with an initial yellow card upgraded to a red after a VAR check.
Los Blancos are set to take on Arsenal in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday, when they have three goals to make up on the Premier League side. They didn’t have the luxury of resting too many senior stars on Sunday, though, with their title hopes still alive going into the game, though Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior both started on the bench.
Mbappe’s red was the first he has picked up as a Madrid player after joining from Paris Saint-Germain over the summer. His ban will only apply to domestic competitions, leaving him free to start at the Bernabeu in midweek.
It was the second time in as many matches that Carlo Ancelotti’s side have had a man sent off. Eduardo Camavinga got his marching orders in stoppage-time at the Emirates Stadium, earning a second yellow card for kicking the ball away, but responded with the only goal of the game against Alaves.
Two goals from Declan Rice and one from Mikel Merino put Arsenal in control in the first leg in North London. Madrid have scored three or more goals in four of their six home games in Europe this season, though, and are not giving up.
“If you look at the game tonight, there is no chance. But football changes,” Ancelotti said during a post-match interview following that 3-0 defeat.
“No one expected that Rice scores two set pieces. He did that tonight. Football, anything can happen. A lot of times, something happens in the Bernabeu.”
Real Madrid defender Lucas Vazquez also gave his team’s fans cause for optimism. “It’s difficult, but if there’s any team in the world that can turn this situation around, it’s us in front of our home fans at our ground,” he said. “We’ll see a different game on Wednesday and if we all stick together, we’ll come through it.”
Mbappe has scored seven times in Real Madrid’s Champions League campaign this term, but none in his last three games in the competition. He did bag a hat-trick against English opposition in the knockout play-off round, though, putting three past Manchester City at the Bernabeu to seal a 6-3 aggregate win.
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