Real Madrid will be without Kylian Mbappe for their next La Liga fixture against Athletic Club after the French forward was handed a one-match suspension following his red card in the 1-0 win over Alaves.
Red card incident
The dismissal came in the 38th minute when Mbappe lunged into a reckless challenge on Antonio Blanco. Initially shown a yellow card, the referee upgraded it to red after a VAR review.
The tackle was deemed serious, with replays showing Mbappe’s studs planting dangerously on Blanco’s foot — a challenge that could have resulted in a far worse outcome.
Despite the seriousness of the challenge, the official match report, as stated by COPE, classifies the incident under Article 130.1, which generally results in a one-match suspension for violent conduct without malicious intent. However, some fans and pundits argue that Mbappé was fortunate to avoid a harsher penalty, considering the potential dangers of the tackle.
Madrid’s narrow victory over Alaves
Madrid’s narrow 1-0 win over Alaves was far from comfortable. Eduardo Camavinga’s first-half strike was the only real moment of quality in a scrappy contest dominated by fouls and red cards — including one later shown to Alaves’ Ruben Duarte. The result kept Madrid within touching distance of league leaders Barcelona, with just four points separating the two sides and seven games left to play, including an El Clásico.
Impact of Mbappe’s absence
Mbappe’s absence against Athletic Club will be felt, especially as he’s also chasing individual glory in the Pichichi race. He currently trails Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski by three goals, and missing even one match could prove costly in that battle. (Transfermarkt)
Fortunately for Real Madrid, domestic suspensions do not affect European competitions, meaning Mbappe will be available for the crucial Champions League quarter-final second leg against Arsenal. With Los Blancos needing to overturn a three-goal deficit at the Bernabeu, his presence will be vital.
