Real Madrid secured an important away win at Valencia, prevailing 3-0 at Mestalla in LaLiga’s 12th matchday!
José Mourinho’s team got off to a better start and managed to take the lead in the 28th minute. Federico Valverde was once again the star of the show, as he fired a powerful shot from outside the box into the net, replicating a strike similar to the one he scored a few days ago against AEK.
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Eight minutes later, Real doubled their lead. Arda Güler found the back of the net in the 36th minute, giving the Madrid side a crucial two-goal lead heading into halftime.
In the second half, Real Madrid managed their lead, with Valencia unable to mount a response. The visitors were in control and even scored a third goal, with Kylian Mbappé receiving an assist from Güler and finishing the play perfectly to make it 0-3 in the 75th minute. That was essentially the end of the match, as four minutes later, José Gaya was sent off with a straight red card for a dangerous tackle on the French forward.
With this victory, Real Madrid reached 30 points and tied Barcelona at the top of the standings, while also overtaking Atlético Madrid. Now, all eyes are on tomorrow’s derby between these two teams to see how the situation at the top will play out.
Earlier, Santander secured a 2-1 victory on the road against Málaga, despite falling behind in the first half due to a goal by Dotor in the 28th minute. Their response, however, was immediate after the break, with Luke equalizing in the 50th minute and Zabiri completing the comeback in the 60th minute. With this victory, Santander reached 14 points and climbed to 9th place in the standings, while Málaga remains in last place with just five points, winless after 12 matches.
In other action, Espanyol and La Coruña played to a 0-0 draw at the “RCDE Stadium,” in a match with few highlights and a lack of finishing from both teams. Espanyol dominated the match and had more shots on goal, but failed to find the back of the net, while La Coruña failed to capitalize on its own chances. With the draw, La Coruña reached 15 points and remained in 8th place, while Espanyol climbed to 12 points, tied with other teams in the middle of the standings in 13th place.
Finally, Athletic Bilbao came within a hair’s breadth of an important three points on the road, but Osasuna had the last word and secured a 1-1 draw in Pamplona. Nico Williams gave the Basques the lead in the 84th minute, but Catenia equalized in the 90th minute, setting the final score. Athletic missed the chance to close in on the European spots, reaching 16 points and remaining in 7th place, while Osasuna climbed to 12 points and sits in 16th place, just above the relegation zone.
*photo source: KYPE
