MADRID, April 16 — Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe was banned for one La Liga match on Tuesday after his red card against Alaves.

The French striker lunged in with an ugly tackle on Antonio Blanco during Madrid’s 1-0 league win on Sunday and was dismissed.

Mbappe will miss Madrid’s next La Liga match against Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, as Ancelotti’s side try to overhaul leaders Barcelona.

The Spanish football federation’s disciplinary committee’s interpretation of Mbappe’s foul was that it occurred "in play” rather than being an incident of violent conduct, which could have led to a longer ban. — AFP