Vinícius Júnior scores 2 and Mbappé-less Real Madrid beats Real Sociedad 4-1 to move top in Spain

MADRID (AP) — Vinícius Júnior scored two penalties and a Real Madrid team without superstar Kylian Mbappé moved top of La Liga with a 4-1 win over Real Sociedad on Saturday.

Mbappé watched from the substitutes’ bench after missing some team training sessions during the week with discomfort in his left knee. Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa said Friday he was able to play, but evidently he did not want to rush his star goal-getter.

Nor did he need to.

Mbappé and Jude Bellingham, out with a hamstring injury, watched as Madrid produced an assured team performance to end the visitors’ 10-game unbeaten run across all competitions and move two points clear of Barcelona before the defending champion visits Girona on Monday.

“I think we did a spectacular job defensively and up front as well,” said team captain Fede Valverde, who scored his first goal of the season. "We had so many chances, but we just couldn’t convert them. It’s true they had some, too, but (goalkeeper Thibaut) Courtois was tremendous. It was a great match from the whole team.”

Perhaps Tuesday’s team-dinner at a fancy restaurant paid for by Mbappé and Vinícius helped focus the players before facing Benfica in the Champions League playoffs next week.

Gonzalo García opened the scoring with a slight touch to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross in the fifth minute. However, it was to be a largely frustrating game for the young attacker, who failed to make more of other good opportunities.

Dean Huijsen conceded a penalty for bringing down Yangel Herrera, and Mikel Oyarzabal duly equalized from the spot with a hard high centrally placed shot in the 21st.

Referee Francisco José Hernández Maeso awarded another penalty at the other end four minutes later when Jon Aramburu caught Vinícius’ ankle, bringing him down. The Brazilian dusted himself off to score from the spot in the 25th.

Valverde gratefully scored the third in the 31st after being left too much space at the edge of the penalty box, and Gonzalo should have scored again when Valverde set him up for what looked like a simple tap in.

Vinícius made it 4-1 with his second spot kick after the break, awarded after Aramburu was again penalized for bringing him down.

Dani Carvajal made his long-awaited return around the hour mark when he replaced Alexander-Arnold for his first league appearance since Madrid’s 2-1 loss to Barcelona in October. Carvajal was reportedly unhappy that the 21-year-old Castilla player David Jiménez played at right back in Valencia last weekend.

“The most important thing is to win, for the team to get the three points and keep this momentum going,” Valverde said after the team's eighth league victory in a row.

Borja Iglesias scored in stoppage time, after having another seemingly good goal ruled out through VAR, to salvage a 2-2 draw for Celta Vigo at Espanyol.

A rueful Iglesias shook his head and smiled after having a 77th-minute goal disallowed when a long check determined there had been an offside infringement.

His frustrations grew when Ramón Terrats pulled the ball back for fellow substitute Tyrhys Dolan to score what he thought was the winner for Espanyol in the 86th.

But Iglesias equalized in the third minute of stoppage time when Pablo Durán set him up with his heel after a good run from Sergio Carreira.

Espanyol remained sixth and Celta a point behind in seventh.

Also Saturday, Getafe held on to upset visiting Villarreal 2-1, and 10-man Sevilla drew with Alaves 1-1 in a duel between two strugglers.

Sevilla midfielder Juanlu was sent off in the 16th minute with his second yellow card for a bad challenge.

Sevilla coach Matías Almeyda was also sent off, late, and he raged against the referee before he could be persuaded to leave.

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

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe sits on the bench prior to the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior celebrates scoring his side's 4th goal from the penalty spot during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, top left, scores a goal that was disallowed by the VAR during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, right, dribbles the ball past Real Sociedad's Jon Martin during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior celebrates scoring his side's 4th goal from the penalty spot during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

PARIS (AP) — Marseille was widely expected to be Paris Saint-Germain's main challenger in Ligue 1 this season, but Lens is the team to be reckoned with.

Coach Pierre Sage's unassuming side moved one point ahead of PSG at the top after a crushing 5-0 win at struggling Paris FC, which was promoted last season but is in 16th spot despite big investment.

While Lens celebrated another clinical performance, Marseille’s chaotic week continued with an equalizer conceded deep into stoppage time in 2-2 home draw with Strasbourg.

Marseille is 12 points behind Lens with 12 games left.

Unheralded Lens has won just one league title compared to nine for Marseille and a record 13 for PSG, and has no big-name stars.

Instead, Lens boasts efficient teamwork, self-sacrifice, slick counter-attacking and clinical finishing.

Wesley Saïd is not a household name, other than perhaps in the former coal-mining community of Lens, but the journeyman forward is peaking at the right time. He scored twice to reach 10 league goals for the first time in a season.

He opened the scoring from a cross in the 24th minute and then found the top-left corner with a firm shot from another cross in the 38th.

Saïd hit the post and Lens had two goals disallowed for offside in the first half. The domination continued after the break with France winger Florian Thauvin scoring a penalty before substitute forward Rayan Fofana netted twice late on.

Marseille led 2-0 after Amine Gouiri created one goal and scored the other. But Marseille's feeble defense fell apart and striker Joaquin Panichelli's rescued a point with a 97th-minute penalty.

“Once again we conceded a late goal (and) we wasted everything at the end,” Gouiri said. “When things happen a dozen times, it’s not the (tactical) choices of the coach, it’s us on the field.”

Fourth-placed Marseille is two points behind Lyon in third, having played one game more.

Fifth-placed Lille missed the chance to close the gap on Marseille after drawing 1-1 with Brest. Lille still has not won a league game in 2026.

Marseille's players were reeling from Roberto De Zerbi's departure on Wednesday, just days after a humiliating 5-0 loss at PSG.

The atmosphere was tense at Stade Vélodrome.

Both stands behind the goal were empty except for angry banners, with one urging American owner Frank McCourt and president Pablo Longoria in blunt terms to leave, along with the words "all of your projects go up in smoke! After all these wasted years.”

Nine-time French champion Marseille has not won a trophy since the now-defunct League Cup in 2012.

The fans who did turn up on Saturday booed the players onto the field.

Gouiri set up Mason Greenwood’s league-leading 14th goal of the season in the 14th minute. He neatly controlled the ball near the penalty with the outside of his foot and played a pass behind the defense for Greenwood to clip the ball in.

Gouiri curled in Marseille's second goal in the 47th after collecting a botched clearance from goalkeeper Mike Penders.

Sebastian Nanasi replied in the 74th before Marseille defender Emerson Palmieri clumsily gave away a penalty.

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

Lens's Wesley Said, center, celebrates with his teammates scoring a side goal during the French League One soccer match between Paris FC and Lens in Paris, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Lens's Wesley Said, center, celebrates with his teammates scoring a side goal during the French League One soccer match between Paris FC and Lens in Paris, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Strasbourg's head coach Gary O'neil stands on the sideline during the French League One soccer match between Marseille and Strasbourg in Marseille, France, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)

Marseille's Amine Gouiri scores his side's 2nd goal during the French League One soccer match between Marseille and Strasbourg in Marseille, France, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)

Banners protesting the club owner are placed on the stands during the French League One soccer match between Marseille and Strasbourg in Marseille, France, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)

Marseille's Mason Greenwood, right, celebrates scoring his side's opening goal during the French League One soccer match between Marseille and Strasbourg in Marseille, France, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)

Marseille's goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli fails to save a penalty kicked by Strasbourg's Joaquin Panichelli (9) during the French League One soccer match between Marseille and Strasbourg in Marseille, France, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)