Kylian Mbappe handed one-match ban after red card against Alaves

The Frenchman will miss the upcoming match against Athletic Club.

Kylian Mbappe has escaped a longer punishment and been handed a match ban after being shown a red card during Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory over Alaves on Sunday.

The French forward’s strong challenge of Antonio Blanco during the first forty minutes of the LaLiga match over the weekend resulted in his dismissal.

It appeared that Kylian Mbappe never intended to win the ball back and launched a horrific tackle on Blanco’s shin, although the midfielder avoided any serious injury. But Mbappe getting only a match ban has raised concerns over the favouritism towards Madrid in the league.

More games of punishment from the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) Disciplinary Committee for Mbappe, would have dealt a serious blow to the Spanish powerhouses’ hopes of winning the league again. Thus, on April 26, he will be available for their matchup with Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final.

Referee Cesar Soto Grado noted in his report that Kylian Mbappe was trying to win the ball when he launched the challenge, which spared him from harsher punishment.

With a 1-0 victory over Alaves on Sunday, Carlo Ancelotti’s team closed the gap on LaLiga leaders Barcelona to four points.

With the Spanish powerhouses behind 3-0 after the first leg of their quarterfinal matchup with Arsenal, the 26-year-old is available for Madrid’s Champions League matchup tonight. But four days later, he will miss the league game against Athletic Club.

Since joining Real Madrid, Mbappe has made 29 appearances in the League, scoring 22 goals and providing three assists. He has been their chief goalscorer and Los Blancos will depend on him to influence the game on the pitch tonight.

A lot of stakes will be placed on Kylian Mbappe to help Madrid secure a place in the semi-final, and given that the Frenchman has always delivered on big occasions, he will be ready to do the same again against Arsenal at home.

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