Mbappé sent off in the 1st half but Real Madrid beats Alaves in Spanish league

MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid overcame Kylian Mbappé's red card for a reckless tackle in the first half to win 1-0 at Alaves and get back to within four points of Spanish league leader Barcelona on Sunday.

Mbappé was sent off shortly before the break after coming in hard for a studs-up challenge on Alaves midfielder Antonio Blanco.

The France star was initially shown a yellow card but the referee changed it to a red after video review.

Mbappé hadn’t seen a red card since 2019 while still playing for Paris Saint-Germain. He will miss at least the Spanish league game at Athletic Bilbao next Sunday.

“Kylian is not violent, he has apologized,” said Madrid assistant coach Davide Ancelotti, who was in charge on the bench because of a yellow-card suspension for his father, Carlo Ancelotti, who watched from the stands.

“He knows what he has done,” Davide Ancelotti said. “It's a clear red-card foul and he paid for it.”

Alaves also played with 10 men from the 70th minute after Manu Sánchez was sent off for a foul on Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior.

Eduardo Camavinga scored Madrid's winner with a shot from outside the area in the 34th. He hadn’t scored a goal since a Copa del Rey match in January.

Barcelona had increased its lead over Madrid with a 1-0 win at Leganes on Saturday.

The victory snapped Madrid’s three-game winless streak in all competitions, a run that included Tuesday's 3-0 loss at Arsenal in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.

Carlo Ancelotti rested some of his regular starters ahead of the second leg on Wednesday in the Spanish capital.

“The victory gives us confidence," Davide Ancelotti said. “It was what we were looking for and we knew it wasn’t going to be easy.”

Alaves, which has only two wins in its last 11 league games, stayed in 17th place, just outside the relegation zone.

The match was briefly interrupted in the 70th because of some fans' “Die” chants against Madrid defender Raúl Asencio.

Both fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao and fifth-placed Villarreal won their matches. Athletic beat Rayo Vallecano 3-1 at home and Villarreal defeated sixth-placed Real Betis 2-1 on the road.

Athletic has a six-point lead over Villarreal, which has a game in hand. Betis is a further three points back.

Villarreal rallied with goals from Thierno Barry and Ayoze Pérez after Aitor Ruibal had put the hosts ahead three minutes into the match. It was Betis' first loss after nine games without defeat.

Athletic got a pair of goals by Oihan Sancet and one by Nico Williams against 10th-placed Rayo. The victory ended Athletic's streak of three straight draws across all competitions.

Osasuna beat Girona 2-1 to move to 12th place and end a three-game losing streak against the Catalan club in the league. It hadn’t won in nine matches in all competitions.

Girona, which had two goals disallowed, hasn’t won in nine straight league matches, with six losses and three draws. It sits in 16th place.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Real Madrid's Eduardo Camavinga, right, reacts after he scored the opening goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Alaves and Real Madrid at the Mendizorroza stadium in Vitoria, Spain, Sunday April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

Real Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni, top, jumps to head the ball during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Alaves and Real Madrid at the Mendizorroza stadium in Vitoria, Spain, Sunday April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe falls during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Alaves and Real Madrid at the Mendizorroza stadium in Vitoria, Spain, Sunday April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

Real Madrid's Raul Asencio, left and Alaves' Joan Jordan challenge for the ball during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Alaves and Real Madrid at the Mendizorroza stadium in Vitoria, Spain, Sunday April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior lies on there pitch during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Alaves and Real Madrid at the Mendizorroza stadium in Vitoria, Spain, Sunday April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

Real Madrid's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois jumps to catch the ball during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Alaves and Real Madrid at the Mendizorroza stadium in Vitoria, Spain, Sunday April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

Alaves' Abdel Abqar is helped off the pitch after getting injured during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Alaves and Real Madrid at the Mendizorroza stadium in Vitoria, Spain, Sunday April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

Alaves' Kike Garcia, centre right, gets past Real Madrid's Eduardo Camavinga, centre left during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Alaves and Real Madrid at the Mendizorroza stadium in Vitoria, Spain, Sunday April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

The referee speaks with Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, centre and other players as Alaves' Moussa Diarra lies on the ground during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Alaves and Real Madrid at the Mendizorroza stadium in Vitoria, Spain, Sunday April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, 2nd left is shown a red card by the referee during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Alaves and Real Madrid at the Mendizorroza stadium in Vitoria, Spain, Sunday April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, 3rd left is shown a red card by the referee during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Alaves and Real Madrid at the Mendizorroza stadium in Vitoria, Spain, Sunday April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

DALLAS (AP) — Colin Blackwell scored 17:46 into overtime and the Dallas Stars beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 on Monday night in Game 2 to even up their first-round Western Conference series.

Blackwell initially took a shot that ricocheted off teammate Sam Steel and Avs defenseman Samuel Girard in front of the net. But with the puck rolling loose on the ice, the fourth-line forward circled around and knocked it in for the winner.

“It’s been a long season, and not playing the first game, stuff like that, just kind of been in and out of the lineup toward the end here,” Blackwell said. “I always felt my game’s kinda built for the playoffs and stuff along those lines. I love rising to the occasion and playing in moments like this.”

Tyler Seguin, Thomas Harley and Evgenii Dadonov also had goals for Dallas, which avoided losing the first two games in its opening-round series for the second year in a row. The Stars did open with their eighth consecutive Game 1 loss since 2022, after going into this postseason with a seven-game losing streak (0-5-2).

Colorado had finished the final 1:26 of regulation and first 34 seconds of overtime on a power play after a hooking penalty against Mikko Rantenen, who the Avalanche traded on Jan. 24 to Carolina in the East, where he played only 13 games before getting traded March 7 back to the Central Division to Dallas and getting a new $96 million, eight-year contract.

Stars goalie Jake Oettinger stopped 34 shots. Mackenzie Blackwood had 35 saves in his second career playoff game, but the final shot went off his left shoulder.

Nathan MacKinnon scored on a power play for his third goal in this series for the Avalanche, and his 51st in the NHL playoffs. Jack Drury and Logan O’Connor also scored.

The series switches to Denver for Game 3 on Wednesday night, when there is a chance that Avs captain Gabriel Landeskog could play for the first time in nearly three years. His last game was June 26, 2022, when they beat Tampa Bay 2-1 in Game 6 to clinch the Stanley Cup, before a chronic right knee injury that led to two surgeries and multiple comeback attempts.

Landeskog was activated off injured reserve early Monday, and was the first Colorado skater to take the ice for pregame warmups. But he was a scratch for the game.

O’Connor had a go-ahead goal in the final minute of the second period with Mason Marchment draped around him for a 3-2 lead, not long after the Stars used a timeout in hopes of taking advantage of a short two-man advantage but coming up empty on nearly four minutes on the power play.

Dallas took an advantage with 4:48 left in the second period, and almost immediately Blackwood made a sliding kick save to deny Marchment. There was only seven seconds left on power play when Colorado got another penalty, and Stars coach Pete DeBoer called timeout.

But Charlie Coyle won the ensuing faceoff for the Avs against Wyatt Johnston, and Devon Toews sent the puck to the other end of the ice to quickly erase the two-man advantage.

Harley gave Dallas its first lead in the series 3:40 in the second period, but that lasted only 62 seconds before Drury’s goal tied the game at 2 with Rantanen right by him. Drury came to Colorado from Carolina as part of the initial trade that sent Rantanen to the Hurricanes.

The Stars matched MacKinnon’s goal with a power play in the final minute of the first period. Captain Jamie Benn skated behind the net, passed to Marchment in the middle of the right circle before he pushed the puck across to Seguin in the opposite circle for the slap shot.

Seguin was in only his third game since missing 58 games over 4 1/2 months because of left hip surgery. He returned for the regular season finale last Wednesday, and hadn't scored since the day after Thanksgiving.

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Dallas Stars players celebrate a game-winning goal by Colin Blackwell, not pictured, during overtime in Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche early Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Dallas Stars center Colin Blackwell, right, is congratulated by teammates center Tyler Seguin (91) and goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) after scoring the game-winning goal against the Colorado Avalanche during overtime in Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series early Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

A shot by Dallas Stars center Colin Blackwell (15) gets by Colorado Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, right, for the game-winning goal during overtime in Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series early Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Dallas Stars center Colin Blackwell (15) celebrates his game-winning goal with teammates defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin (46) and center Sam Steel (18) during overtime in Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche early Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Dallas Stars right wing Evgenii Dadonov (63) sneaks the puck by Colorado Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (39) for a goal as left wing Joel Kiviranta (94) tries to defend during the third period in Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series Monday, April 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Dallas Stars center Colin Blackwell (15) competes for possession against Colorado Avalanche center Martin Necas (88) during the first period in Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series Monday, April 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

A shot by Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin, not visible, gets by Colorado Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (39) for a power play goal during the first period in Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series Monday, April 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Ryan Lindgren, left, reacts after shot by teammate center Jack Drury, not visible, entered the net of Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger, right, for a goal during the second period in Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series Monday, April 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Dallas Stars center Colin Blackwell (15) skates away from the puck after taking it from Colorado Avalanche center Martin Necas during the first period in Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series Monday, April 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson, left, and Dallas Stars right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) collide while competing for the puck during the first period in Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series Monday, April 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Dallas Stars players celebrate a power play goal by center Tyler Seguin, second from right, during the first period in Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche Monday, April 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Colorado Avalanche center Martin Necas (88) and Dallas Stars center Sam Steel (18) compete for possession as referee Graham Skilliter (24) tries to get away during the first period in Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series Monday, April 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Colorado Avalanche players celebrate a goal by Logan O'Connor (25) as Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) skates on his crease during the second period in Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series Monday, April 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Colorado Avalanche right wing Logan O'Connor, bottom, reacts after scoring a goal against the Dallas Stars during the second period in Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series Monday, April 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)