Mbappé's brace at Villarreal lifts Real Madrid into La Liga lead

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Despite a coaching change and some poor play that irked its fans, Real Madrid returned to the top of La Liga after Klyian Mbappé scored a brace in a 2-0 win at Villarreal on Saturday.

Mbappé scored early in the second half and added an injury-time penalty to ensure Madrid rose two points above Barcelona, which will need to beat bottom side Real Oviedo at home on Sunday to reclaim first place.

Those were Mbappe's La Liga-leading 20th and 21st goals in 20 appearances by the France star.

Madrid has stayed close to Barcelona even though it has not been playing up to the standards of its demanding club executives and supporters.

The club fired coach Xabi Alonso after it lost to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final two weeks ago, only for the team to also endure an embarrassing exit to a second-tier team in the Copa del Rey in the debut of his replacement, Álvaro Arbeloa.

The sudden coaching change and poor play sparked fan protests during Madrid’s last two home games, a pair of wins in La Liga and the Champions League.

But a loss by Barcelona at Real Sociedad last weekend opened the door for Madrid to slip ahead at Villarreal. And now Arbeloa has overseen three comfortable victories in a row.

Arbeloa praised Mbappé and fellow forward Vinícius Júnior, whose incisive play with the ball helped set up both goals. Vinícius received the worst of the jeers in the Santiago Bernabeu this week.

“They are two of the best players in the world, they break down defenses and we try to get them as many touches as we can,” Arbeloa said. “Winning at this ground has a lot of merit and it is thanks to the work of all my players.”

Villarreal still has one more game to play but it fell into fourth place at 10 points behind Madrid.

Pape Gueye, the hero of Senegal thanks to his extra-time goal to beat Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations final last week, was back in Villarreal’s starting lineup.

Gueye's long strike from outside the area just missed in the host's best chance in the first half.

Morocco forward Brahim Díaz, who missed a penalty that could have given Morocco a lead late in stoppage time, went on as a second-half substitute for Madrid.

Mbappé pounced on a loose ball to score in the 47th minute. Vinícius Júnior dribbled to the endline on the left side and his squared pass was deflected by Gueye. But Mbappé was the fastest to the ball and slammed it under goalkeeper Luiz Júnior.

Gerard Moreno had a superb chance to equalize for Villarreal in the 63rd when a set play set him up all alone in the middle of the area only for him to fire high.

Mbappé converted the penalty he earned after he was tripped by Alfonso Pedraza.

Villarreal lost Argentina defender Juan Foyth to a left leg injury in the first half.

Valencia edged Espanyol 3-2 after the referee awarded the host a questionable penalty in injury time when Rubén Sánchez was adjudged to have fouled Lucas Beltrán.

The video review didn’t overrule the initial decision, even though it appeared clear that Beltrán ran into Sánchez before falling.

Largie Ramazani converted the winning spot kick to ensure fifth-placed Espanyol’s winless run reached four games.

Sevilla fought back for a 2-1 win over Athletic Bilbao at home. That snapped a five-game winless run for Sevilla.

Osasuna also won at Rayo Vallecano 3-1 to move into eighth place.

Only four points separate Osasuna and Getafe down in 17th in a compact lower half of the table that includes Rayo, Sevilla and Athletic.

A minute of silence was held before kickoff in all of this weekend’s games for the victims of two deadly train wrecks in Spain this week.

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

Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, right, speaks to referee César Soto Grado during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Villarreal and Real Madrid in Villarreal, Spain, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, center, in action during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Villarreal and Real Madrid in Villarreal, Spain, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)

Real Madrid players celebrate after Kylian Mbappe scored the opening goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Villarreal and Real Madrid in Villarreal, Spain, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring the opening goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Villarreal and Real Madrid in Villarreal, Spain, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring the opening goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Villarreal and Real Madrid in Villarreal, Spain, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)

HAVANA (AP) — Several dozen people stood in circle in a room at a Havana psychiatric hospital, their hands held together as they chanted in unison, vowing to rid their bodies from “the toxins that enslave.” The collective plea to reclaim their freedom for just the next 24 hours was the first step of a 90-day detoxification before beginning rehabilitation.

Drug use was an almost-unknown phenomenon in Cuba until the beginning of this decade. However, a deepening economic crisis, shortages of basic goods and the emergence of low-cost synthetic drugs have combined to transform the landscape.

In Havana and other cities across the island, it is no longer unusual to see young people in public parks sleeping, walking with difficulty or lying unconscious.

According to authorities, the primary threat is the “químico,” (chemical) — a potent cocktail of synthetic cannabinoids and hazardous additives. Also known on the streets as “papelitos,” or "little papers,” the drug is absorbed into sheets of paper that are sliced into tiny doses and smoked. At roughly 250 Cuban pesos per hit (50 cents), it costs less than a basic loaf of bread or a can of soda.

“It’s very cheap...and it’s everywhere,” said David Morales, 25, who is in recovery after receiving help at government-funded health centers and is now in rehabilitation therapy at the Alcance Victoria Cuba evangelical Baptist church.

Acknowledging the rise in consumption, Cuba's Ministry of Health and several state agencies in July established a National Drug Observatory, an initiative to research, monitor and mitigate the impact of illegal drugs on the island.

Although the government does not track the number of drug users, Dr. Tania Adriana Peón, head of mental health and addictions at the General Directorate of Health, pointed to emergency room data as a barometer for the trend. In 2024, 467 people sought help or were registered in emergency rooms in Havana. By 2025, that figure nearly doubled to 886.

Cuba has a zero-tolerance policy on drugs, and drug trafficking is punishable by up to life imprisonment. And while it's not a drug-producing or stockpiling country, authorities acknowledge it is not immune to drug use.

Sporadically, seizures of packages of cocaine abandoned by traffickers during chases and washed ashore are reported; these are known as “recalos” or washups. Drugs are also smuggled into the country among imported goods, and, to a lesser extent, domestic marijuana plantations have been detected.

“The primary challenge Cuba faces today is related to new psychoactive drugs or synthetic cannabinoids, which originate mainly from the United States,” said Col. Juan Carlos Poey Guerra of Cuba's Interior Ministry.

He added that police laboratories detected 46 new synthetic formulations in the last year. Among the substances mixed with cannabinoids were the anticonvulsant carbamazepine, formaldehyde and fentanyl, among others. Between 2024 and 2025, he said, authorities thwarted 72 attempts to smuggle drugs into the country from 11 different origins.

The United States is the primary source of the precursor substances that constitute químico, said Poey Guerra.

Health care in Cuba is state-run and free, so neighborhood family clinics are typically the first to detect signs of drug use. Patients with more severe or complex conditions are referred by health authorities for longer, more intensive hospital stays.

The Associated Press recently toured a 40-bed men’s ward at the Havana Psychiatric Hospital, where patients aged 20 to 30 are undergoing a 90-day detox before beginning rehabilitation.

The space was divided into two-bed cubicles adorned with family photos. It featured a small reading area, a dining room and a recreation space. Each day, the patients — wearing white T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan “We win against drugs” — take responsibility for cleaning their surroundings.

“I was incredibly depressed...living on the streets; I just couldn’t take it anymore,” said 23-year-old Daniel Fulleda, who was admitted in January. His tone was enthusiastic as he shared his plans of getting married before the year end and start a family. ”Next year, I'll start my own business."

For decades, the highly centralized state was responsible for treating drug and alcohol users — especially alcohol users — but the magnitude of the challenge in recent times has opened the door for other actors.

“There are neighborhoods that are infested… I’ve seen young people using drugs right in front of me," said Pastor Abel Pérez of the Alcance Victoria Cuba church. “As a pastor, I’m not called to sit idly by.”

Last year, the church provided therapy to approximately 50 young people and their families and today more than a dozen individuals attend sessions regularly.

“In my youth, talking about drugs was extraordinary… The problem has grown so rapidly and in such a short time that, to some extent, it has overwhelmed the country’s capacity to address it,” said Alejandro Morales, a 57-year-old oceanographic engineer who accompanies his son David to meetings at the Alcance Victoria Cuba church.

In the same room, 64-year-old Vilma Arias sought help alongside her 36-year-old daughter. Her other son, 26, is also struggling with drug use but refuses to seek treatment.

“We have to pray a lot,” she said. “My daughter is a wonderful teacher and my son is a graduate in automotive mechanics. I don’t even know how they fell into this,” she added.

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Medical staff, left, and people in rehabilitation, right, sit at a psychiatric hospital in Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A youth in rehabilitation sits on his bed next to photos of his family that he uses as support for his recovery at a psychiatric hospital in Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

People in rehabilitation at a psychiatric hospital prepare a homemade cocoa cream candy to share in Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A youth in rehabilitation speaks with his visitor during a break at a psychiatric hospital in Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

People undergoing rehabilitation hug in a circle at a psychiatric hospital in Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)