Valencia 0-2 Real Madrid: Report & Full Match Highlights After Hard-Fought Victory
Real Madrid closed the gap to one point at the top of the table after their win over Valencia. It was a tense encounter at the Mestalla, with a single goal separating the two teams.
A second-half strike from an unlikely source in left-back Alvaro Carreras looked to be enough for Los Blancos, who were frustrated by Los Che for most of the game. However, a late Kylian Mbappe goal made it comfortable for the closing minutes.
It was a huge win for Real Madrid, and one achieved without several of their top stars. Next up is Real Sociedad at the Bernabeu.
Real Madrid grind out three points against Valencia
As expected, Real Madrid had most of the ball in the opening 15 minutes, with 77% possesion. However, they did not test the goalkeeper, with the only shot coming from Valencia. It was nowhere near the target from Unia Nunez.
It took 18 minutes for Los Blancos to go close. Arda Guler took a short corner and, after receiving the ball back, saw his effort deflect wide. Not long after the first shot on target, Kylian Mbappe tested Stole Dimitrievski from a tight angle.
That seems to spark the away team into life, especially Mbappe, who had another shot saved in the 23rd minute. Los Che were making it difficult for Real Madrid, and limited them to half-chances, frustrating Alvaro Arbeloa's side.
It was the home team that started the second half the best, creating the first chance. Lucas Beltran making contact with a cross from Arnaut Danjuma and sending it just wide of Thibaut Courtois post. Time was ticking away, and Arbeloa sent some of his substitutes to warm up.
The Valencia goalkeeper looked to be in good form, and when Real Madrid managed to create a scoring chance, he was in the way. The Macedonian was saved from Fede Valverde in the 62nd minute. However, he could not keep out left-back Alcaro Carreras. The Soaniard drove into the box and, after a fortunate bounce of the ball, slipped the ball past the goalkeeper.
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The away team needed that second goal, as the game was tightly poised. There were no major chances for the home team, but at just 1-0, anything could happen. Heading into the final 15 minutes, Arbeloa brought on Trent Alexander-Arnold, who hadn't played since the end of November.
Despite some nerves in the closing stages, Real Madrid made sure of the win in stoppage time. A counterattack resulted in Brahim Diaz finding Mbappe, who found the back of the net to seal the win.
Valencia vs Real Madrid full match highlights
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Next up for Real Madrid is Real Sociedad on February 14 at the Bernabeu. It's another week off for Los Blancos, which is great news for Alvaro Arbeloa.
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Jordan Merritt is a staff writer for Real Madrid On SI. Before joining On SI, he wrote at Fansided, covering Ole Miss football, basketball, and baseball. He has also written for YardBarker, Heavy Sports, and the official EFL site. Merritt is a big sports fan, spending most of his weekends watching Soccer, the NFL, the NBA, college football/basketball, and others. Before starting his career as a freelance writer, Merritt was an Engineer for over 10 years. He lives in West Yorkshire, England, and is keenly interested in sports trading cards.
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