Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Valencia: Unlikely Hero Keeps La Liga Title Race Alive

Los Blancos have now won seven consecutive La Liga fixtures.

Álvaro Carreras scored his second goal in a white shirt. | Irina R. Hipolito/Europa Press/Getty Images

A severely undermanned Real Madrid side secured a 2–0 victory over Valencia at the Mestalla on Sunday night thanks to goals from Álvaro Carreras and Kylian Mbappé.

Without Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo available, Los Blancos’ makeshift attack struggled to get much of anything going for much of the La Liga clash in Valencia. A goalless and rather underwhelming opening 45 minutes soon spilled over into the second half before an individual moment from Carreras got the visitors on the scoresheet in the 65th minute.

Real Madrid cruised into stoppage time, never looking in danger to squander their lead. In case there was any doubt, though, Mbappé buried his ninth goal in 2026 to send his side back to the Spanish capital with three points.

Álvaro Arbeloa’s men have now won their last seven La Liga matches and remain just one point behind bitter rivals Barcelona in the fight for the Spanish crown.

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One Thing We Can’t Ignore

Kylian Mbappé (above) missed Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham. | David Aliaga/NurPhoto/Getty Images

There were two gaping holes on the pitch for Real Madrid on Sunday, ones left by the injured Bellingham and the suspended Vinicius Jr. Although both players have received their fair share of criticism this season—and rightfully so—it cannot be understated just how much Los Blancos missed their presences at the Mestalla.

For all his recent faults, Vinicius Jr is still capable of producing a moment of magic to get Real Madrid on the scoresheet, something Gonzalo García looked incapable of doing in his place. The Brazil international’s dribbling and darting runs forward at the very least draw defenders to the left flank, leaving Mbappé with space to exploit more centrally.

Without Vinicius Jr to worry about, Valencia’s backline was able to zero in on the Frenchman, stifling him until the dying stages of the game. The issue was only compounded by Bellingham’s absence; the defenders were more than happy to let Arda Güler see the ball, not giving him the same attention the England international requires.

Even when Bellingham is stuck tracking back for his teammates or covering more ground than anyone else on the pitch, he still only needs a sliver of time and space to pick out Mbappé with a delicious through ball or pounce on a rebound after a dangerous run inside the box.

The return of Vinicius Jr from suspension will help avoid a repeat performance, but Arbeloa still must find a solution to replace Bellingham’s creativity moving forward.

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Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Valencia (4-4-2)

Real Madrid did enough to collect three points in Sunday. | Manuel Queimadelos/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Thibaut Courtois—6.9: Largely a spectator. Didn’t have to make a single save.

RB: David Jiménez—7.1: Not exactly a dream first start in La Liga. Caught out on multiple occasions and squandered a glorious chance at goal. Still, did not make any costly mistakes.

CB: Raúl Asencio—7.3: Remains Real Madrid’s best defender despite playing through injury. Deserves credit for helping Jiménez in transition.

CB: Dean Huijsen—8.2: Easily shrugged off by Lucas Beltrán at times. Had a few wobbly moments at the back, but will hold his head a little higher after tallying an assist.

LB: Álvaro Carreras—8.5: Inventive with the ball at his feet. Had free reign of the left flank without Vinicius Junior on the pitch and was rewarded for his efforts with a sublime individual goal.

RM: Arda Güler—7.5: Started in a deeper position, but slowly transitioned to his favored No. 10 role to get more involved. Will be unhappy with creating zero chances on the night, a rarity for the Turkish youngster.

CM: Federico Valverde—7.9: Not a bad outing per say, but his passes were routine and he did little to impose himself on the game beyond a couple half-hearted attempts from distance. Failed to dictate the flow of play.

CM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—8.4: Helped stifle nearly every push forward from Valencia before the hosts even had a sniff of the final third.

LM: Eduardo Camavinga—7.3: Put in an excellent defensive shift that won’t show up on the scoresheet. Also only misplaced three passes in 90 minutes on the pitch.

ST: Kylian Mbappé—8.0: Drifted all over the pitch with freedom, but was frustrated by a swarm of defenders closing down his every move. Almost a night to forget before he found the back of the net in stoppage time to keep up his impeccable goalscoring streak.

ST: Gonzalo García—6.5: Impressed in flashes, but struggled to get involved with Mbappé seeing much of the ball in the final third. Found himself on the left wing at times, where he had little impact.

SUB: Trent Alexander-Arnold (76’ for Jiménez)—6.4: Looked sharp. In 14 minutes plus stoppage time, completed five passes into the final third and and made one well-timed clearance.

SUB: Brahim Díaz (76’ for Gonzalo)—6,7: Set up Mbappé’s goal to seal all three points for Real Madrid.

SUB: Franco Mastantuono (82’ for Güler)—N/A

SUB: Jorge Cestero (92’ for Valverde)—N/A

Subs not used: Andriy Lunin (GK), Sergio Mestre (GK), Antonio Rüdiger, Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, Fran García, Dani Ceballos.

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What the Ratings Tell Us

Gonzalo García had a frustrating night up top. | Irina R. Hipolito/Europa Press/Getty Images

• Fede Valverde still has yet to rediscover his form in the midfield. His effort and selflessness cannot be questioned, but he simply does not do enough in the middle of the park to spurn on his attack or set the tempo of the game.
• Gonzalo García continues to struggle when playing alongside Kylian Mbappé. The No. 9 needs a partner up top to set up his goalscoring opportunities, and the Frenchman is always more inclined to go for goal instead of creating for his teammate.
• Trent Alexander-Arnold is finally back after two months on the sidelines. The England international was limited to a brief cameo off the bench, but his return is a bright spot for Real Madrid moving forward—he could be the creative spark the team has been missing.

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The Numbers That Explain Real Madrid’s Crucial Win

Álvaro Carreras bagged the match winner for Real Madrid. | Manuel Queimadelos/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

• Despite scoring two goals, Real Madrid only mustered a 1.03 xG against a team that has conceded the second-most goals in La Liga this season.
• Arbeloa’s attack was lifeless for large spells of the game and only created one big chance in 90 minutes. The team was crying out for Vinicius Jr’s dazzling feet and Bellingham’s creativity.
• Los Blancos were content to allow Valencia to have 40% possession, trusting in their defense and the interventions of Eduardo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouaméni to limit the hosts’ impact.

Statistic	Valencia	Real Madrid
Possession	40%	60%
Expected Goals (xG)	0.44	1.03
Total Shots	7	11
Shots on Target	0	6
Big Chances	1	1
Pass Accuracy	79%	89%
Fouls	10	13
Corners	5	8

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