Real Madrid staged a comeback, sparked by Luka Modric and finished off by Jude Bellingham, to defeat Valencia 2-1 at the Mestalla. The win lifted Los Blancos to the top of the La Liga table, at least temporarily, and spoiled Carlos Corberan’s first match as Valencia manager.
After club legend Rubén Baraja was replaced during the winter break, Corberan faced a tough challenge in his debut against Real Madrid. Valencia started strong, with quick and flowing attacks that left a disorganised Real side struggling.
Thibaut Courtois made several important saves, denying Hugo Duro, Andre Almeida, and Dimitri Foulquier. However, Valencia took the lead when Duro’s rebound after Courtois saved Javi Guerra’s shot found the back of the net. Duro’s goal was his third in a row against Real Madrid.
Despite the lead, Valencia couldn’t relax, as Real Madrid began to find their rhythm towards the end of the first half. Federico Valverde and Vinicius Junior both tested Stole Dimitrievski but couldn’t score.
In the second half, Real Madrid pushed for an equaliser. They were awarded a penalty when Tarrega fouled Kylian Mbappe, but Bellingham’s spot-kick hit the post. Moments later, Mbappe thought he had scored, but his goal was ruled out for offside.
Valencia’s defence held firm, even after Vinicius Jr was sent off for a petulant push on Dimitrievski. However, Modric scored an equaliser in the 80th minute, after Bellingham’s clever through ball.
As Real Madrid built pressure, Valencia’s Hugo Guillamon made a costly mistake with a poor backpass, which Bellingham latched onto and curled into the net to secure the win. It was Real Madrid’s third win in their last 11 visits to the Mestalla.
Valencia remains in the relegation zone, four points from safety, while Real Madrid’s unbeaten run extends to six matches. Despite nearly snatching a point in the final moments with a shot from Luis Rioja hitting the woodwork, Valencia couldn’t avoid defeat.
