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Real Madrid staged a dramatic late comeback to defeat Valencia 2-1 and move top of the La Liga table late on Friday night. Despite being reduced to 10 men after Vinicius Junior’s red card, Madrid secured the win with goals from Luka Modrić and Jude Bellingham.
Valencia had taken the lead in the 27th minute through Hugo Duro’s simple finish, after Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had kept out an effort from Javi Guerra. The hosts deserved their halftime advantage after a strong first period, with five shots on target and Courtois being the busier of the two goalkeepers. Valencia’s defense was also solid, limiting Madrid’s attacking opportunities.
In the second half, Bellingham missed the chance to level the scores from the penalty spot, with his effort coming off the post. Kylian Mbappe also had a goal disallowed for offside just before the hour mark. Despite these setbacks, Madrid continued to push for an equalizer.
Real Madrid’s task became even more challenging in the 80th minute, when Vinicius was given his marching orders for a push on Valencia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski. However, Carlo Ancelotti’s side refused to give up and managed to make it 1-1 soon after when Modrić calmly finished into the back of the net.
Bellingham then sealed the win in the 95th minute with a goal that came from a high press. The victory moved Madrid two points clear at the top of the table, while Valencia remains in 19th place, four points from safety.
The win sets up an intriguing title race, with Atletico Madrid emerging as strong contenders. Barcelona, meanwhile, is having its own issues, making Atletico Madrid the strongest competition in the title race. With 17 games remaining, the title race is far from over.
As for Valencia, relegation is a serious threat, but new coach Carlos Corberan can take positives from the team’s performance despite the disappointing finish. With more than enough quality in their squad, Valencia can move clear of the drop zone in the coming weeks. Corberan will be looking to build on this performance and get Valencia’s season back on track.
