Valencia vs Real Madrid Review
Luka Modrić’s inspired performance led to a comeback for Real Madrid, spoiling Carlos Corberán’s debut as Valencia manager. Real Madrid triumphed 2-1 at Estadio Mestalla, temporarily placing them at the top of the La Liga standings. Following the winter break, Rubén Baraja was replaced, and Valencia faced a challenging task in their fight for survival with a tough match for Corberán’s first game. After Federico Valverde was thwarted early on, Valencia took control, launching quick and dynamic attacks that a disorganized Real Madrid struggled to handle. Thibaut Courtois made crucial saves against strike partners Hugo Duro and André Almeida, as well as full-back Dimitri Foulquier.
Despite Courtois’ impressive efforts to keep his team in the game, he ultimately couldn’t prevent Valencia from scoring after saving Javi Guerra’s first shot, only to be beaten by Duro’s follow-up. The goal ignited a late push from Carlo Ancelotti’s squad before halftime, although Valverde and Vinícius Júnior were unable to find the back of Stole Dimitrievski’s net.
Real Madrid carried that momentum into the second half and had a chance to equalize when Tarrega fouled Kylian Mbappé in the penalty area. Jude Bellingham stepped up to take the penalty, but after a hesitant run-up, he hit the post. The visitors did manage to score an hour into the match with Mbappé, who displayed remarkable skill to evade Dimitrievski and score into an empty net, but the goal was disallowed due to an offside call in the buildup.
The hosts’ goal was under threat as Rodrygo nearly scored for Real with a header that went just over the bar. Valencia’s chances of holding onto their lead improved when Real’s star player, Vinícius Jr, was sent off after a VAR review for a reckless push to the back of Dimitrievski’s head during an off-the-ball incident. However, Ancelotti’s team remained composed and managed to equalize late in the game thanks to the ever-reliable Modrić, who capitalized on Bellingham’s precise first-time pass to score his first club goal since February.
The visitors gained momentum, and the increasing pressure on Los Ches led to a critical error from Hugo Guillamon, whose weak backpass was intercepted and skillfully finished by Bellingham. This late goal marked Real’s third win in their last 11 visits to the Mestalla, allowing them to temporarily top the table while extending their unbeaten streak across all competitions to six matches. On the other hand, Valencia remains in the relegation zone, four points away from safety.
