VALENCIA, Spain — Real Madrid dismantled Valencia in a 3-0 victory at the Estadio Mestalla on Saturday night, pushing José Mourinho’s squad level on points with Barcelona atop the La Liga standings.
Goals from captain Federico Valverde, young midfielder Arda Güler and superstar forward Kylian Mbappé sealed an eighth consecutive victory in all competitions for Madrid as the club headed into the November international break. The loss also saw Valencia finish with 10 players following a late red card issued to team captain José Gayà, according to match reports.
Valverde and Güler seize control early
Mourinho’s side faced a defensive setup from Javier Aguirre’s Valencia squad in the opening exchanges. The breakthrough arrived when Madrid earned a free kick just outside the penalty area. Although Valencia blocked Mbappé’s attempt with the defensive wall, the ball bounced to Valverde on the edge of the box. The Uruguayan international struck a low drive into the bottom corner to claim the lead, Sports Illustrated reported, noting the goal arrived in the 26th minute, while GOAL.com placed the opener in the 28th minute.
Madrid doubled the margin in the 36th minute. Jude Bellingham charged forward and delivered a cross into the box that deflected into the path of Güler, who converted on the volley. GOAL.com reported that Madrid maintained 68 percent of possession during the match and generated 18 shots, suffocating the hosts while controlling the flow through midfield partners Bernardo Silva and Aurélien Tchouaméni.
Mbappé adds insurance as Valencia unravels
The visiting side retained control throughout the second half, restricting Valencia to only two shots on target, which goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois stopped comfortably, Managing Madrid reported. Center-backs Ibrahima Konaté and Dean Huijsen along with left-back Marc Cucurella anchored a defensive line that yielded an expected goals figure of just 0.33, according to GOAL.com.
Mbappé broke through for Madrid’s final goal in the 75th minute, rounding the Valencia goalkeeper to score following a setup from Güler. It marked Mbappé’s 13th league goal of the campaign, Sports Illustrated reported. Valencia’s evening worsened four minutes later when Gayà was shown a red card in the 79th minute, leaving the hosts shorthanded for the closing stretch.
Mourinho utilized his bench late in the match, introducing Eduardo Camavinga, Brahim Díaz, and Endrick in the 84th minute, followed by late appearances from Thiago Pitarch and Carlos Espí.
Title race context
The road victory completed an unblemished stretch between international breaks for Madrid, who captured eight consecutive matches including league triumphs over Sevilla and Barcelona, as well as European wins against Roma and RB Leipzig, Madrid Universal reported.
Real Madrid sits tied on points with Barcelona at the summit of La Liga. Barcelona visits Atlético Madrid on Sunday in a contest that could alter the top of the table before domestic league play pauses for international fixtures.
