Desk Report : Real Madrid kept their La Liga title hopes alive with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Alavés on Sunday night, despite playing most of the match with 10 men after Kylian Mbappé was sent off in a dramatic encounter.

Eduardo Camavinga’s first-half strike proved decisive, though the match was filled with twists and turns, including a late red card for Alavés’ Manu Sánchez that leveled the playing field.

With this win, second-placed Real Madrid now have 66 points from 31 matches, while league leaders Barcelona remain on top with 70 points from the same number of games. With seven matches left, the title race is heating up.

The first half was packed with drama. Real missed early chances, including a close effort from Arda Güler and a disallowed Raúl Asencio goal due to a foul. But Camavinga broke the deadlock in the 34th minute with a stunning strike, putting Real ahead 1-0.

The match took a dramatic turn four minutes later when Mbappé was initially shown a yellow for a reckless foul on Antonio Blanco, but after a VAR review, the referee upgraded it to a red, forcing Real to play with 10 men.

Despite the disadvantage, Real held firm and even got a lifeline in the 70th minute when Alavés’ Sánchez was sent off for a dangerous foul on Vinícius Júnior, restoring numerical parity.

Alavés pushed for an equalizer but failed to break Real’s defense, while the visitors missed chances to extend their lead late in the game.

The victory keeps Real in the title hunt, setting up a thrilling finale to the La Liga season.