Real Madrid clinched a convincing 3-0 away victory against 10-man Valencia on Saturday, temporarily moving level on points with La Liga leaders Barcelona. Jose Mourinho’s side, now on an eight-game winning streak across all competitions, dominated the match at the Mestalla Stadium.
The visitors opened the scoring in the first half when Federico Valverde struck from outside the box after Mbappe’s free kick deflected off the wall.
Arda Guler extended the lead shortly after, capitalizing on a pass from Jude Bellingham to put Madrid in control heading into the break.
The game saw a poignant pause in the ninth minute as players and supporters paid tribute to Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel following his passing on Tuesday.
Kylian Mbappe continued his prolific run by netting the third goal, marking his seventh consecutive match with a goal. The strike, which saw him latch onto a through ball from Guler and navigate past goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski, was his 13th league goal this season and his 17th in 16 appearances across all formats. Minutes later, Dimitrievski saved well from Mbappe, as the French striker ran through and tried to dink the ball over him.
The victory was made more comfortable late in the second half when Valencia captain Jose Gaya received a red card for a dangerous sliding challenge on Mbappe. This proved to be the final blow for manager Javier Aguirre’s team, who struggled to contain the Madrid attack despite a spirited performance from their goalkeeper.
Los Blancos played without winger Vinicius Junior, who was serving the final match of a four-game suspension. Despite his absence, the team has maintained high pressure on Barcelona, whom they defeated in the El Clasico at the Camp Nou on October 25. Reigning champions Barcelona face a difficult trip to third-placed Atletico Madrid on Sunday, hoping to reclaim their solo lead. Third, on Sunday, aiming to move back clear of the chasing pack, reigning champions Barca visit Atletico Madrid.
Earlier in the match, Valencia’s Guido Rodriguez had an effort ruled out for offside. Thibaut Courtois also proved vital for Madrid, making a sharp save to deny Aaron Mayol after the defender had dispossessed Aurelien Tchouameni. Further attempts from Mbappe and Bellingham in the second half were thwarted by Dimitrievski, preventing a larger margin of victory.
Elsewhere in the league, Eder Sarabia’s Espanyol side finished in a goalless draw against Deportivo A Coruna. Meanwhile, Osasuna managed a late 1-1 equalizer against Athletic Bilbao, and Racing Santander staged a comeback to secure a 2-1 win over Malaga.
