During a thrilling encounter at the Mestalla, Jude Bellingham rose to the occasion, redeeming himself from a missed penalty to give Real Madrid, despite being reduced to 10 players, a 2-1 victory against Valencia on Friday evening. This success propels Madrid to the top of La Liga, following a heated match where Vinicius Junior received a controversial red card at the end of the match.
Valencia opened the scoring thanks to Huro Duro, who found the net in a hard-fought first half. However, a classy Luka Modric equalized for Carlo Ancelotti’s side with a perfectly executed shot in the 85th minute, before Bellingham’s late injury-time heroics sealed the return victory.
In a moment that polarized opinion, Vinicius was sent off for a stroll on Valencia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski with just over ten minutes remaining. The incident revived memories of the racial abuse he suffered from Valencia fans at the same venue the previous season.
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Despite a goal behind and a player less, Madrid reacted admirably. Bellingham expertly set up Modric to equalize before scoring himself in a extraordinary finish, finding the back of the net in the 96th minute following a Valencia defensive error. The young midfielder’s crucial goal was his sixth in seven appearances, underlining his importance to the team and making him a crowd favorite in his debut season.
Ancelotti praised Bellingham’s resilience after the match, saying: “It was a great match for him. Missing that penalty only fueled his desire even more. His performance was exceptional, and the goal was a reward for his efforts. »
The Italian boss expressed his shock at Vinicius’ red card, saying he did not think it warranted such punishment. He noted: “The team showed commendable spirit in the second half, even after the red card and the missed penalty. » He stressed the need for his team to eliminate the inconsistencies that have marred their performances this season.
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The match, originally scheduled for late October, was postponed due to severe flooding along Spain’s east coast. As for Valencia, currently stuck in 19th place, the club recently appointed Carlos Corberan after a run of disastrous results, hoping to reverse their trend after not winning in La Liga since November.
They had made a good start, but failed to capitalize, with Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé remaining silent until his dazzling acceleration awarded him a penalty early in the second half. Bellingham took responsibility but failed, hitting the post after a questionable call on Dimitrievski’s positioning.
Although Madrid were reduced to ten players, the resilient Bellingham played a key role, facilitating the equalizer and securing the victory. It was a night of high tension, crucial moments and the sort of drama that only La Liga can deliver. In a humbling moment, Vinicius took to social media to express his gratitude to his teammates, saying: “Sorry and thank you team” after they made up for his mistake.
Valencia’s Luis Rioja almost found a late equalizer, hitting the post in the dying moments but ultimately failing as they continue their search for safety in the league. Duro, the Valencia scorer, said: “I don’t care about scoring, the important thing was the three points, which we didn’t get. »
As the season progresses, both teams face crucial challenges — Madrid at the top of the table for now and Valencia striving to escape the relegation zone.
