Real Madrid maintained their formidable momentum in the Spanish top flight on Saturday, securing a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Valencia at the Mestalla Stadium. The win moves the reigning champions level on points with league leaders Barcelona, intensifying the race for the title as the season progresses. Under the management of Jose Mourinho, the side has now registered eight consecutive victories across all competitions, underscoring a period of consistent dominance.
The match began with a poignant moment of reflection in the ninth minute, as both players and supporters observed a tribute to Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel, who passed away earlier in the week. Once play resumed, the encounter proved to be a challenging test of tactical discipline. Valencia initially threatened through Aaron Mayol, who capitalised on a mistake by Aurelien Tchouameni, though Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois produced a vital save to keep the scoreline level.
Real Madrid gradually established control after a disallowed goal for Valencia’s Guido Rodriguez, who was ruled offside. The breakthrough came via Federico Valverde, who fired a powerful strike from outside the penalty area. The opportunity arose after a free kick taken by Kylian Mbappe was blocked by the Valencia defensive wall, falling perfectly for the Uruguayan midfielder to capitalise. Shortly thereafter, Arda Guler doubled the lead, finding the net after a cross from Jude Bellingham took a favourable deflection into his path.
The second half saw Madrid continue to press, with Guler and Bellingham both coming close to extending the advantage. Valencia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski remained busy, denying several attempts, including an overhead kick from Mbappe and a direct run from Bellingham. Despite the goalkeeper's resilience, Mbappe eventually secured the third goal, latching onto a precise pass from Guler to maneuver past the defence and squeeze the ball home. This strike marked the French forward's 13th league goal of the campaign and his 17th goal in 16 appearances.
The night concluded on a difficult note for the hosts, as Valencia's Jose Gaya was shown a red card with approximately 10 minutes remaining. His dismissal followed a late sliding challenge on Mbappe, leaving Javier Aguirre’s team to finish the match with ten men. The victory leaves Real Madrid in a strong position, with attention now turning to Barcelona’s upcoming fixture against Atletico Madrid, where the Catalan side will aim to re-establish their lead.
Real Madrid navigated this victory without the services of winger Vinicius Junior, who was completing the final match of a four-game suspension. Despite his absence, the team has performed effectively, building on the momentum gained from their recent victory over Barcelona in the Camp Nou Clasico held on October 25. The result at the Mestalla ensures that Madrid remains firmly in contention as they look to defend their title.
Elsewhere in La Liga, other clubs experienced varied fortunes on the same matchday. New Espanyol coach Eder Sarabia saw his side finish in a goalless stalemate against Deportivo A Coruna, while Osasuna managed to secure a late point in a 1-1 draw against Athletic Bilbao. Additionally, Racing Santander mounted a second-half comeback to defeat Malaga 2-1.
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