Real Madrid defeated Valencia 3-0 at Mestalla on Saturday in the twelfth round of La Liga, according to Fanatik. Fede Valverde opened the scoring, Arda Güler doubled the lead before half-time, and Kylian Mbappé added a third after Valencia were reduced to ten men.
The result keeps Madrid's winning run going into the international break. Before kick-off, Fanatik reported that Madrid sat third on 27 points while Valencia were nineteenth with 8, and the home side were chasing a win to climb away from the relegation places.
Why it matters
For Madrid, the night was about more than the scoreline. Fanatik reported that the club were seeking a fifth consecutive victory and wanted to enter the international pause on a winning note. They achieved both, and they did it without conceding at a ground that has often been awkward for visiting sides.
For Valencia, the defeat leaves them in the position they started the weekend in — near the bottom of the table and short of the result their coach, Javier Aguirre, had hoped for. Speaking before the match, Aguirre said his team needed no extra motivation against "one of the best teams in the world" and hoped they would produce a good performance. The scoreline suggests they did not get the night they wanted.
How the goals came
Madrid's opener arrived from a set piece. Fanatik reports that Mbappé took a free kick from the left, and when the ball came back off the defensive wall, Valverde was first to it and struck it into the net without hesitation to make it 1-0.
The second came shortly before the interval and carried Güler's signature. According to Fanatik, Jude Bellingham drove into the box from the left and turned the ball across; it deflected off a defender and fell to Güler, who finished to double the advantage. The referee's half-time whistle went with the score at 0-2.
Güler was involved throughout. Fanatik notes that he had already tested goalkeeper Dimitrievski from distance after a Bernardo pass, and that he was played through behind the defence by Valverde but could not beat the keeper. Earlier, Dimitrievski had also denied Bellingham after the midfielder carried the ball into the area and shot.
Mbappé had chances of his own before he scored. Fanatik reports that Güler released him in behind the defence, but Dimitrievski kept his effort out. The goalkeeper was busy for much of the evening even as his team fell behind.
The red card and the third goal
The decisive moment for Valencia came in the 80th minute. Fanatik reports that Mbappé received a pass from Diomande and was brought down by Gayà's heavy challenge, and the referee showed Gayà a straight red card, leaving the home side with ten men.
Madrid made the numerical advantage count soon after. Fanatik reports that Güler found space on the right and delivered a fine pass to send Mbappé through one-on-one with the goalkeeper, and this time the striker made no mistake, rolling the ball home for 3-0.
Valencia had their own moment of brief celebration earlier in the match. Fanatik reports that from a Guerra corner, Tarrega headed the ball down outside the area and Haas controlled and finished, but the assistant referee raised the offside flag and the goal did not stand.
There was also a stoppage that drew attention at Mestalla, with Goal.com reporting that a critical situation forced the referee to halt the match. Fanatik's account of the play itself does not elaborate on the interruption.
Güler's run of form
Turkish outlets gave Güler prominent coverage after the match. Sözcü Gazetesi described another show from the midfielder and highlighted his performances across his last six games, while Haber 7 wrote that he carried his team on the road. Hürriyet also led its match report on his contribution.
Fanatik's own account supports the attention: Güler scored the second goal, created the third for Mbappé, and had several other efforts either saved or set up by teammates. Fanatik also noted that both Güler and Tchouaméni were left out of the squad for Madrid's Champions League match against AEK but returned to the list for Valencia.
The wider picture
The win extends Madrid's sequence of victories, which Fanatik reported stood at five in a row before kick-off. It also means they go into the international break with momentum rather than questions.
Valencia's task does not get easier. They remain in the relegation zone on the evidence of the standings Fanatik published before the match, and the manner of the defeat — conceding twice before half-time and then losing a player to a red card — will give Aguirre plenty to work on during the pause.
Madrid's coach, José Mourinho, had described the fixture as a difficult one beforehand while saying his side would not dramatise the situation. His players answered on the pitch instead.
What to watch next: how both squads return from the international break, and whether Valencia can find the points they need to move clear of the bottom three.
