Substitute Jude Bellingham scored late on as Real Madrid overcame already-relegated Real Oviedo 2-0 at the Bernabéu in a tense atmosphere marked by fresh protests against club president Florentino Pérez.
The match came amid growing pressure on Pérez following a second straight trophyless campaign.
Speaking at a fiery press conference earlier in the week, the Real Madrid president insisted he would remain in charge, while also inviting challengers to contest fresh elections.
Tensions around the club leadership were evident before kick-off, with Pérez appearing to exchange words with supporters seated near the hospitality section in a sparsely populated Bernabéu. Around 10 minutes into the contest, fans unveiled a banner reading “Florentino, leave now” before security quickly removed it.
Despite dominating possession, Madrid struggled to break down Oviedo for much of the opening half. Trent Alexander-Arnold came closest early on when his long-range strike drifted narrowly wide, while Brahim Díaz forced goalkeeper Aarón Escandell into a sharp save.
Oviedo also threatened, with Nacho Vidal blazing over from close range before Madrid punished the visitors moments before the interval.
A careless turnover on the left flank allowed Díaz to quickly recycle possession to Gonzalo García, who surged onto the pass and drilled beyond Escandell to hand the hosts the lead.
Oviedo nearly responded after the restart when Rahim Alhassane delivered a deep cross that reached Alberto Reina at the back post, but the midfielder fired wastefully wide.
Madrid continued to press for a second goal, with Escandell denying Álvaro Carreras from a tight angle, while Vidal squandered another promising opening after bursting into the area from right-back.
Kylian Mbappé returned from a hamstring injury for the final 20 minutes and almost made an instant impact, although his ambitious long-range effort sailed over the bar to audible frustration from sections of the crowd.
The victory was finally secured 10 minutes from time when Mbappé slipped a short pass into Bellingham’s path. The England midfielder powered through two defenders before calmly steering a low finish into the bottom corner.
Oviedo still managed one final opportunity late on, but Thibaut Courtois reacted well to push over a fierce drive from Haissem Hassan as Madrid closed out a hard-fought win.
