After the Catalans scraped a comeback win at Valladolid on Saturday, Madrid survived a late Celta fightback to maintain the four-point gap ahead of next Sunday's Clasico.
Arda Guler broke the deadlock for Real shortly after the half-hour mark as the Turkish 20-year-old took a short corner for a one-two with Lucas Vazquez before dispatching an excellent left-footed shot from a tight angle through a gap between defenders.
Barca have 79 points ahead of second-placed Real Madrid, who host Celta Vigo on Sunday. Hansi Flick's side next visit Inter Milan in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday after a 3-3 draw in midweek.
Barcelona and Atletico Madrid were also among a slew of top-flight clubs joining La Liga in expressing their condolences for Francis.
Flick said it was one of those comebacks that nobody forgets easily, adding it was not easy to win after Borja Iglesias netted a hat-trick to give Celta a 3-1 lead.
Mbappe will miss Madrid's next La Liga match against Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, as Ancelotti's side try to overhaul leaders Barcelona.
Julian Alvarez, who coolly slotted home two penalties on the night, now boasts 26 goals in all competitions—14 in La Liga. But according to his coach, there’s still room to grow.
It was his first red card after joining the Spanish and European champions last summer.
Barcelona extended their advantage in the Spanish top flight with a 1-0 win at Leganes on Saturday, completing a 12-match unbeaten run and moving seven points clear of second-placed Real Madrid.
Spanish forward Joselu scored twice to give Real Madrid a 2-0 win at local rivals Getafe on Thursday, propelling them back to the LaLiga summit, two points ahead of surprise package Girona.
Atletico Madrid climbed third, above struggling champions Barcelona on goal difference, with a comfortable 2-0 win at home against Valencia.
Only a few months after lifting the Spanish title, Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez dramatically announced he would walk away from the club at the end of the season.
Barcelona's title defence was derailed as Villarreal romped to a sensational 5-3 victory in La Liga on Saturday with three late goals.
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez said he will quit his "cruel and unpleasant" job at the end of the season after his struggling team were beaten 5-3 by Villarreal on Saturday in La Liga.
After Real Madrid scraped a controversial 3-2 win over bottom side Almeria and a treble by Ferran Torres helped Barca win 4-2 at Real Betis, Girona demonstrated their title credentials
Under-pressure Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez said on Wednesday he would resign if his squad no longer believed in him following last weekend's heavy Spanish Super Cup final loss to Real Madrid.
"Guler performed well for an hour. It was important for him to get used to playing with the team," Ancelotti told reporters.
Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham is the best player in the world, his coach Carlo Ancelotti said Friday.
Girona coach Michel Sanchez insisted his team cannot keep up with La Liga leaders Real Madrid despite their stunning 4-3 win over Atletico Madrid on Wednesday to pull level in first place.
