Valencia - Real Madrid summary: score, goals & highlights, LaLiga EA Sports
Valencia - Real Madrid: as it happened
Full-time thoughts:
I'm not going to talk about the controversy because you've got my live reaction below, so I'll talk about how the game went.
Real Madrid dominated the first stages of an incredibly intense game, but two quick-fire goals from Valencia silenced the purple shirts. Ancelotti's side looked shellshocked until Vini Jr slotted home from close range to give his side a lifeline.
The second half began with the same intensity as the first, and it wasn't long before Madrid drew level with a header from Vinicius Jr, who was in fine form in front of goal.
It was here really where the madness began. Diakhaby suffered a horrific injury and was taken off by the medical staff before Hugo Duro went up the other end after 90 minutes and won a penalty, which was taken away by VAR.
Real Madrid pushed as the clocked ticked well past the added time limit.
OK, I am going to talk about that moment.
Real Madrid won a corner and the referee told the players this was "the final play" of the game. The ball was sent away from goal and to the right side. The referee put his whistle to his lips.
Brahim took the ball down and shaped to cross in. No whistle.
The cross was floated in and Bellingham headed past the goalkeeper... right as the referee blew the whistle.
Chaos ensued and Bellingham was sent-off once the game was over, with Madrid's players and staff in sheer disbelief that the referee had blown as the player headed over the white line.
Let's leave it there!
Thanks for following the action on and off the pitch tonight in Valencia!
It's never quiet in LaLiga, that's for sure.
Joe
Tchouaméni expresses support for Diakhaby
"Really sorry for what happened, I wish you a quick recovery"
Modric, a man of class
On and off the pitch, Modric is an example to everyone. He has looked past the controversy to wish Diakhaby a speedy recovery.
And now Real Madrid themselves have commented...
"An unprecedented refereeing decision stops Real Madrid from winning at Mestalla"
Jude Bellingham has retweeted this:
The 'match winner' is not a happy man! He's also retweeted a post calling the decision 'A SCANDAL'
Carlo Ancelotti post-game:
I think the game should've ended when Valencia got the ball. I've never seen anything like it.
I don't think it's a red for Bellingham. All he said was "it's a f***ing goal", he didn't insult him.
It was an error from the referee.
Let's see what the referee's report says, but it was not an insult from Bellingham.
Foulquier had a fantastic game against Vinicius. But he scored 2 very important goals for us.
It's an important point at a difficult ground.
Let's leave it there...
We're leaving the live feed here, but that won't be the end of the coverage!
Make sure you head over to AS USA for the fallout of that crazy game.
Joe
Tchouaméni has had his say
The Frenchman has taken to Twitter to give his thoughts on the drama.
What a game of football...
If you thought the first half was full of drama, that was nothing compared to what went on after the break!
Here's what happened:
OK, I have a little more information. Before the corner, the referee explained to the players that the corner was the final action.
The ball was played in and cleared to the edge of the box. No whistle came.
It went out to the right side before being sent back in, where it was Bellingham who headed past the goalkeeper.
The referee blew the whistle as Bellingham made contact, but the whistle was for full-time.
This is incredible. The replay shows that the referee has blown the whistle as the ball crossed the line.
THE GAME IS OVER BUT THERE IS MADNESS
The corner came in and was sent back in from the other side where Joselu headed in, but it seems that the referee had already blown the whistle...
BELLINGHAM HAS JUST BEEN SENT OFF
Corner to Real Madrid... this is end to end!
OVER THE BAR!!!! Peter fires a volley inches over the crossbar! If that goes in, Mestalla crumbles on the spot.
The time is up, but we've got no whistle for now.
SAVE. Lunin gets down well to stop a Peter rocket from long range and Valencia win a corner.
Real Madrid come again after getting control of the ball and win a corner.
Fran García did touch the ball and Nacho did not make contact with Hugo Duro. Back underway.
NO PENALTY
VAR is having a look.
There's an offside call to be made, as well as whether or not Nacho actually made contact with the forward.
Hugo Duro was brought down in the box by Nacho...
INCREDIBLE
PENALTY TO VALENCIA
7 added minutes.
Back underway.
We're going to restart shortly.
The player is being carried off the pitch in a stretcher. He has tears in his eyes, as do the players on the pitch, who look visibly shaken.
It's Diakhaby, the Valencia defender. His knee bent the wrong way after a player fell over his outstretched leg.
This looks serious. Players on both sides have their hands over their eyes...
The medical team are on the pitch after what looks like a nasty injury to a Valencia player.
Madrid change:
OFF: Valverde
ON: Nacho
Fran García wins his side a free-kick on the left side of the pitch after being brought down with a shirt pull.
Real Madrid are still pushing as Valencia resort to dropping back.
Tchouaméni tackles inside the box and Real Madrid survive a dangerous moment. The away side attack and Diakhaby manages to foul two Madrid players with one slide tackle, which sees him given a yellow card.
Valencia recover and attack. Valverde goes in and takes a yellow card for a crunching foul on Amallah.
Back underway and Real Madrid throw everyone forward in search of the winner...
The VAR check is still ongoing...
Wow, the atmosphere inside the ground is seriously tense.
The ball is worked out to the right and crossed towards Vini Jr, who heads in at the back post!
Madrid are being patient on the ball, despite the fact there are around 15 minutes to go.
Changes for both sides:
MADRID
OFF: Camavinga, Mendy
ON: Fran Garcia, Joselu
VALENCIA
OFF: Fran Pérez, Javi Guerra
ON: Peter, Amallah
Vini Jr gets booked for a foul on Hugo Guillamón.
CHANCE. The ball doesn't quite bounce nicely enough for Bellingham to have a go on the volley and Valencia recover. Again, it's nice work from Madrid who have their opponents pinned into their defensive third.
CHANCE. Brahim spins on the edge of the box and pokes a toe at the ball that whizzes past the far post. The goalkeeper didn't see that one coming!
A superb challenge from Valverde sees Javi Guerra lose the ball on the edge of the Madrid box after a wonderful driving run.
Madrid are still in the same 4-4-2 diamond shape, with Brahim alongside Vinicius and Modric in between Camavinga and Valverde.
He looks OK, but that hurts.
Hugo Duro is down and is holding his Hugo Duros.
They're very interesting changes from Ancelotti, let's see how Madrid shape up after that.
Ancelotti switches things up:
OFF: Kroos, Rodrygo
ON: Modric, Brahim
CHANCE. Kroos receives on the edge of the box from Mendy and goes for goal, slicing a shot over the bar.
Modric and Brahim are preparing to come on.
HUGE SAVE! Lunin gets down well to save a close range effort fromDiego López.
The move was sublime from Valencia down the right with a fantastic dummy from Hugo Duro but my word, what a save!
Hugo Duro takes the ball down with his hand before being taken down himself by Rüdiger. The referee blows for the initial infraction.
The change in formation should give Valencia the security to play slightly ahead of where they are now.
That is Guillamón and Pepelu as a double pivot with Javi Guerra slightly ahead. Hugo Duro is the number 9.
Valencia make changes:
OFF: Guillamón, Diego López
ON: Yaremchuk, Canós
Valencia have dropped deep and are inviting Madrid onto them...
HUGE CHANCE! Bellingham takes the ball inside the box and skips past a challenge just six yards out.
He smashes a low drive towards goal that is saved by the goalkeeper!
CHANCE. Some nice skill from Mendy inside the box frees up an inch to send the ball in but the cross is poor and Valencia clear.
Vini Jr comes again and drives down the left side before blasting a shot over the bar.
Bellingham can't get enough on his poke of the ball towards Kroos, who looked ready to fire at goal. Valencia recover and attack, but Rüdiger shuts the door.
Camavinga has already had more meaningful touches in the first minutes of this half than he did in the previous 45. He's driving the purple shirts forward and they're all sat on the edge of Valencia's area.
A free-kick is given to Valencia on the edge of the box after Camavinga was hit on the arm. A little harsh, in my opinion.
Pepelu fires over. It's OK, he can blame the wind.
Valencia get their first touches, forcing Madrid to chase. The ball isn't sticking to feet and is rolling away on its own due to the wind. This should make for a fun second half.
Madrid have started brightly and Camavinga plays down the wing to Rodrygo who sees his cross deflected into the hands of Mamardashvili.
Wow, the rain is now lashing down onto the pitch...
AND WE'RE OFF!
Bellingham gets the ball rolling.
Real Madrid's players are back out!
They've been sent out early, before the Valencia players.
Not long to go until the second half...
Will we see any changes from either coach?
I don't think Valencia, given their position, should move the pieces round; Madrid, on the other hand, should want to continue how they ended the half, keeping things the same.
A snap of the celebrations
The noise was special. I know I'm repeating myself here, but it was something to behold.
What a sensational half of football!
Two quick-fire goals from Valencia came out of nowhere against a Madrid side who looked fairly comfortable without threatening too much.
The atmosphere has been the talking point with a savage noise from all four stands and that has conditioned the game, turning the heat up and making every kick feel ultra intense.
Vini Jr's late goal has given Madrid a lifeline and set up what is surely going to be a great second half at Mestalla.
HALF-TIME!
What a super half of football.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL
VINICIUS JR SCORES
The ball is worked down the right where the cross is fired in low. It runs across goal and Vini Jr is there to stab home from close range!
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL
VINICIUS JR SCORES
Into the final minute of the half. Madrid are still pushing...
Madrid go forward and Valencia raise their Roman shields and form the tortoise formation, not letting one drop of sweat that isn't theirs into their box.
Valencia attack and Real Madrid recover.
Real Madrid attack and Valencia recover.
Real Madrid foul.
...
I honestly couldn't explain that better, you know exactly what type of game this is.
5 added minutes.
Into the final minute of normal time in the half.
Madrid appear to have settled after that incredibly wobbly period.
Kroos has pushed up slightly and that's given them a little more control in the middle.
The German steps up... and fires over.
Real Madrid have a free-kick on the left corner of the box. It's a dangerous one. Kroos and Rodrygo are over it.
SAVE. Valverde goes for goal from distance and it's saved by the goalkeeper! The shot came after a nice move between Vini Jr and Bellingham who linked up well.
I don't think Valverde has played one pass on target since the goals went in. He looks completely off the pace right now.
Valencia drop into their 4-4-2 and Madrid sit on the outside, playing from left to right and back again. Camavinga gets bored and fires over the bar from distance.
It's not clicking for Real Madrid right now, who can't find their feet. First touches and passes are going off course and Valencia are thriving in the madness of it all.
CLOSE. Tchouaméni's header out is poor and the ball lands with Hugo Duro inside the box. The shot is being readied when Carvajal dives in to swipe the ball away.
Valencia have conceded 6 goals at home all season. This is a huge challenge for Madrid.
We're back underway. The stadium is in shock!
It's a huge error from Carvajal, who sees his poor pass back to Lunin intercepted by the forward and slotted into an empty net!
It's a huge error from Madrid.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLL
VALENCIA ARE TWO GOALS UP
We're back underway and Fran Pérez goes screaming down the wing. Mendy defends.
Valencia recover after a poor clearance from Valverde. It's sent into the box from the right where Fran Pérez sees his shot skewed wildly.
The effort spins off his foot onto the head of Hugo Duro, who has the reflexes to direct the ball into the far corner, just as it looks like the move has broken down!
Valencia win the ball back and break, but the cross from the right is poorly timed and Real Madrid recover.
Real Madrid look very switched on and are playing the ball from side to side, looking for a way in.
Wow, we're already over 20 minutes in.
So far, there haven't been any huge chances to speak of at all, but things are as tense as when your boss says 'can I have a word?'
Vini Jr goes down in the box and the referee gives a goal kick. He wants a penalty as he thinks he's shoved over by Foulquier, but it would indeed be a light one.
Hearts shoot upwards into throats on the Madrid bench as Carvajal plays a suicidal ball from right back into the middle of the gang of Valencia midfielders.
The home side can't believe their luck and completely rush the move that sees the ball eventually fired into the feet of Lunin.
Good work from Madrid ends in a... goal kick. Bellingham flicks round the corner into Rodrygo who makes a delightful run on the left side but the ball runs out of play.
Camavinga sticks a leg in on Yaremchuk but the referee waves it away as 49,000 screams fill the airwaves. The replay shows, as usual with the Frenchman, that it was a sublime tackle.
Valencia's press causes Lunin to clear a ball into the stands. The crowd are certainly playing their part in the game so far.
CHANCE. It ends with Camavinga heading into Mamardashvili's grasp but it was a lovely move from Madrid.
Vini Jr sends Bellingham in behind and the Englishman twists and turns on the left before sending in a dangerous cross. Valencia get back and defend well.
Valencia go long but the ball runs out. For as much as Real Madrid have had the ball in the opening stages, Los Che look extremely comfortable when the time comes to attack.
Canós in particular has been lively.
CHANCE. Yaremchuk swings a leg at the ball as it's fired long and into the box, but misses completely.
It could've been messy for Madrid, who were caught sleeping after the restart.
He's back on the pitch and we're back underway.
Valencia left-back Gayà is down, and he's holding his neck.
Let's see how the crowd affects Vini Jr, who is quite an emotional player, I think it's fair to say. So far, he's waving away the whistles and songs, but the games always feel exceedingly long for away players at Mestalla...
It's a breathless start to the game: Vini Jr gets fouled by Foulquier and it's safe to say the fans aren't happy.
A couple of loose ball roll into the Valencia box from misplaced Madrid passes. They're all met with huge clearances as purple shirts sprint towards the danger.
Valencia get their first real touches of the ball and Madrid drop into something of a 4-3-3 with Bellingham pushing up towards Mosquera and Diakhaby.
It's an early yellow for Yaremchuk who goes in late on halfway.
The opening stages see the away side tap, tap, tap the ball around as Valencia chase. Bellingham makes it into the box with a late run but the ball is claimed by the home side.
As you may expect, the whistles every time Vini Jr gets a touch are quite loud.
And by 'quite', I mean 'extremely'.
Boom. The energy levels shoot up to 1000 and we've already seen a couple of thundering tackles within 33 seconds from the home side.
AND WE'RE OFF!
It's Valencia who get the ball rolling.
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In case you're wondering, here's why Real Madrid are wearing last year's shirt instead of one from the current campaign.
HERE COME THE PLAYERS
We're almost ready to go!
WHAT A NOISE FROM THE FANS
Today is a special fixture for many reasons
But the most significant of them all goes beyond football.
It is the first home game that Valencia have played since a fire ripped through a housing block in the neighbourhood of Campanar.
We'll have a moment of silence ahead of kick-off to remember those who lost their lives in the heartbreaking tragedy.
The players are filtering out into the tunnel
It looks like the team talks are over and we've got the first few players already waiting in the tunnel...
The noise inside the ground is...
Simply put: deafening!
Mestalla is known for its crazy crowds but every time the four orange walls get going, it really feels like the noisiest place in the world!
Both teams have left the pitch!
The pre-game warmups are over and all the players are racing down the tunnel for the final team talks before kick-off!
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OK, so he's not a Real Madrid player yet, but he soon will be.
Endrick is set to join Los Blancos in summer but his debut in the Bernabéu will undoubtedly be sooner.
Spain are set to play against Brazil in an anti-racism campaign match and it looks likely that Endrick will feature, given he was once again called up to the senior squad that will also take on his future teammate, Jude Bellingham, when they face England.
Get involved with our live poll!
What's the score going to be? Who's going to score?
Have your say online byresponding to our poll that will be live until the ball starts rolling at Mestalla.
Carlo Ancelotti pre-game press quotes:
Our idea is to go and play a strong game, and Valencia’s idea is the same. The teams and the fans want a spectacle.
We must not forget last year, because racist acts must be condemned and identified. Valencia did very well, identifying the person who committed the crime.
It is a city that has experienced a tragedy [with the recent fire], we want to show solidarity with these families. We want to play the best match possible for that reason.
Half an hour to go!
Here's a reminder of the starting XIs:
VALENCIA:
GK: Mamardashvili
DEF: Foulquier - Diakhaby - Mosquera - Gayà (c)
MID: Guerra - Pepelu - Fran Pérez - Canós
ATT: Yaremchuk - Hugo Duro
REAL MADRID:
GK: Lunin
DEF: Carvajal (c) - Tchouaméni - Rüdiger - Mendy
MID: Kroos - Camavinga - Valverde - Bellingham
ATT: Vini Jr - Rodrygo
As we've seen in the build up to the game, Real Madrid shocked supporters by revealing that they will be wearing the purple change kit used by the team in 2022/23.
It is extremely rare for teams to sport an old kit, so the decision left many Madridistas scratching their heads. Here's why the team have gone for last season's purple kit.
Will Arda Güler play?
During the week I dissected Carlo Ancelotti's use of Arda Güler, who has been rumoured to be unhappy at his lack of playing time. Ancelotti has involved young players over the years, but it's not as simple a situation as it may seem...
DeFodi Images / DeFodi Images via Getty Images
Who's the ref?
It’s bad news for your team as Jesús Gil Manzano is the referee for today’s game.
The veteran official has overseen more than 200 games in the top division so you’ve probably already ticked him off your Spotter’s Guide: LaLiga handbook.
He’s had experience all over the world, refereeing everything from the Champions League to Copa América to Greece’s Stoiximan Super League.
How things are going for Valencia:
Los Che have European football on the brain and are only 6 points from Real Betis, who sit 6th.
Real Sociedad are two ahead of Baraja’s side but have looked flat over recent weeks, meaning that a positive string of form for the home side could see them in a position come the end of the season where the European dream is still alive and kicking, something which would be a huge boost for the fans, who have had it tough since the turn of the century.
| T | MP | W | D | L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 40 | 27 | 10 | 10 | 7 |
| 8 | 37 | 27 | 10 | 7 | 10 |
| 9 | 36 | 25 | 10 | 6 | 9 |
| 10 | 35 | 27 | 8 | 11 | 8 |
| 11 | 33 | 26 | 9 | 6 | 11 |
VALENCIA XI REVEALED:
It's all systems go for Pipa Baraja and his side as the manager names a full-strength XI for the game.
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Here's how you can watch the game on your TV or streaming device, as well as keep up to date with the live feed.
How things look for Los Blancos:
Things look fine and dandy for Los Blancos, who could go 9 points clear with a win.
Girona, who are 5 points behind - take on Copa del Rey finalists Mallorca tomorrow at Son Moix while Barcelona (57) take on Athletic Club.
| T | MP | W | D | L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 65 | 26 | 20 | 5 | 1 |
| 2 | 59 | 26 | 18 | 5 | 3 |
| 3 | 57 | 26 | 17 | 6 | 3 |
| 4 | 52 | 26 | 16 | 4 | 6 |
| 5 | 49 | 26 | 14 | 7 | 5 |
A peek into the dressing room!
While we're surprised at Real Madrid's kit change, Valencia's classic white and black will be on show tonight.
Pablo Morano / REUTERS
Last time out...
Unfortunately, we have to mention the racism.
While Mestalla is great, some of the fans who go there are not, and the last time Real Madrid travelled to the stadium, Brazilian winger Vinicius Jr was racially abused.
This incident, as you might expect, caused a social uproar, and Vini was once again labelled as the person provoking the incident, which is a disgrace in itself.
While perhaps the choice of words from some on the Madrid side saying "Valencia fans" instead of "some Valencia fans" may have caused outrage, that is not at all where the debate should be had.
Now, Valencia have erected an anti-racism flag ahead of the game. If that doesn’t stop them…
Here's one we didn't see coming!
Real Madrid's Twitter have revealed that the team will actually be playing in their purple away strip from last season!
It's a lovely kit so no complaints from me, although the reason behind it seems as yet unknown...
DAVID GONZALEZ / DIARIO AS
Today's stadium...
Mestalla, opened in 1923, is without doubt one of Spain’s great stadiums.
The stands that hold 40,000 souls thunder upwards from the ground towards the sky at angles that made roller-coasters jealous, almost tipping the fans onto the pitch.
The noise inside when things get rocking is legendary and can make teams - both home and away - melt upon kick-off.
Valencia pre-game press quotes:
The first half that we played at the Bernabéu was good, regardless of the scoreline. I think we had opportunities and we created chances, but in the second half, we didn’t compete well.
Above all, we gave them the possibility to make their advantage very big, and we were not at our true level. This bothered me. We were not at our level. This is a completely different game, in which we have to try to do things better than we did there.
It is a different scenario and we know the great difficulty the match poses, but we are going to face it with a great mentality and in front of our fans. We think that if we do many things well or border on perfection, we can have chances -and we are going to make the most of them.
Valencia team news:
André Almeida is out for Pipo Baraja today as he has been for months, with the player suffering what he himself called “a very difficult injury”.
Real Madrid team news:
Ancelotti gave huge hints regarding the team news, saying that both Courtois and Militão are well on the mend and could be back next month.
Bellingham and Joselu are also both back and ready to rock and roll, which leaves just David Alaba as the long-term question mark.
REAL MADRID XI REVEALED:
Carlo's gone mega early with his starting XI which includes Jude Bellingham.
Other than that, it's as you'd expect.
Madrid in fine form
The good news for Madrid (who have scored only one goal in each of their last three), is that Bellingham, their top scorer, is back.
However, Los Blancos can’t afford to let complacency and Champions League football (next week) affect them in what is a historically tough tie.
Madrid have gone unbeaten in the league since losing against Atlético Madrid in September.
A tough night ahead...
Valencia come into the game with the best home defensive record in the division, averaging just 0.50 goals conceded per game - fewer than any other side in the league.
They have not lost in 8 at Mestalla and have only conceded 3 in that time.
Welcome!
Hello and welcome to the AS USA live coverage of match day 27 in LaLiga.
Real Madrid travel to Valencia in one of the league’s historic fixtures.
We’ll have kick-off in around an hour.