Real Madrid takes the lead in LaLiga thanks to a last-minute victory at Mestalla (1-2)

Real Madrid took three golden points from Mestalla with a dramatic narrow victory (1-2). Luka Modric and Jude Bellingham scored the goals for Carlo Ancelotti's team, who were losing 1-0 with one man down in the 86th minute. In the end, the 'che' team ran out of steam in the final stretch and remains at the bottom of the standings with just 12 points, while the 'merengues' pull away five points ahead of FC Barcelona.

Valencia started the match very well, testing Courtois with a close-range shot from Hugo Duro. Dimitrievsky also had work to do in the early minutes, after a dangerous shot from Dani Ceballos. Foulquier also grazed the goal before the first quarter of an hour was up, when the match was back and forth. Madrid took control of the ball, while the locals waited compactly in their half, looking for quick counterattacks.

Hugo Duro put Valencia ahead in a very even first half

In the 27th minute, the strategy paid off for coach Carlos Corberán, who was making his debut after the dismissal of Rubén Baraja. A steal by Yarek and a long pass from Foulquier allowed Javi Guerra to get behind Mendy. The '8' tried to blast it past Courtois, but the Belgian responded with a great save. Unfortunately for the 'merengues', the rebound fell to Duro's feet, who only had to push it into an empty net to put the 'che' team ahead.

Carlo Ancelotti's team immediately pushed for the equalizer, which was very close to arriving just before halftime. Ceballos set up Vinicius, but Dimitrievski managed to close down in time to neutralize the '7's shot. Valencia held onto their narrow lead until the break, and in the second half, the whites quickly found an ideal opportunity to level the score.

Madrid managed to come back in the final stretch

In the 50th minute, referee César Soto Grado awarded a penalty against Tárrega for a slight contact with the left arm on Mbappé. Jude Bellingham took the penalty, but the Englishman adjusted his right-footed shot too much, hitting the ball against the base of the post. Around the hour mark, Kylian scored a stunning goal with a remarkable finish, but the goal was disallowed for offside against the '9'.

Ancelotti sought the comeback by bringing on Brahim and Camavinga, while Corberán did the same by introducing Canós and Guillamón to refresh the defense. The 'che' team struggled to get into the opposing half throughout the second half, but Madrid found it difficult to create danger in the rival area. The situation became even darker for 'La Casa Blanca' in the 78th minute, when Soto Grado had no choice but to send off Vinicius for a slap on Dimitrievski.

The Brazilian lost his cool again after a scuffle with the Macedonian goalkeeper. The VAR flagged the aggression, and the '7' received a straight red card, leaving the field amid pushes from his own teammates to avoid a harsher sanction. When everything seemed lost for the 'merengues', the recently introduced Luka Modric appeared to equalize the score. The Croatian came on for Ceballos in the 80th minute and six minutes later made it 1-1, finishing past Dimitrievski after a good collective play between Brahim and Bellingham.

In stoppage time, the draw seemed certain until an unusual slip by Guillamón while attempting to make a back pass handed Bellingham a goal on a silver platter. The Englishman picked up the ball and calmly finished past Dimitrievski in the 90+5'. Rioja was close to equalizing again in the last play of the match, with a powerful left-footed shot that hit the crossbar. With the victory, Real Madrid takes the lead in LaLiga with 43 points, two more than Atlético de Madrid, although the 'colchoneros' still have a game in hand. FC Barcelona, for its part, is five points behind the whites.

Technical sheet of the match Valencia 1-2 Real Madrid

• Valencia, 1: Dimitrievski; Foulquier, Tárrega, Mosquera, Gasiorowski (min. 88, Jesús Vázquez); Javi Guerra (min. 67, Guillamón), Barrenechea, López (min. 67, Canós), Rioja; Almeida (min. 88, Gómez) and Hugo Duro.
• Real Madrid, 0: Courtois; Lucas Vázquez, Tchouaméni, Rüdiger, Mendy (min. 68, Camavinga); Ceballos (min. 80, Modric), Fede Valverde, Bellingham (min. 90+6, Asencio); Rodrygo (min.68, Brahim), Vinicius and Mbappé.
• Goals: 1-0, Hugo Duro (min. 27); 1-1, Luka Modric (min. 85); 1-2, Jude Bellingham (min. 90+5).
• Referee: César Soto Grado. He cautioned Dani Ceballos in the first half. He awarded a penalty in the 50th minute for a push by Tárrega on Mbappé. In the second half, he cautioned Lucas Vázquez and Luka Modric for Real Madrid and Sergi Canós for Valencia. He also sent off Vinicius after reviewing a slap by the Brazilian on Dimitrievski.
• Stadium: Mestalla.
• Incidents: Match corresponding to matchday 12 (postponed) of LaLiga EA Sports 2024/25.