MADRID — Jude Bellingham missed a penalty kick but redeemed himself by scoring a last-minute winner, while Vinicius Jr. received a red card as Real Madrid battled to a thrilling 2-1 victory over Valencia with only ten players. This dramatic match allowed Real Madrid to reclaim the top position in La Liga on Friday.
In a crucial comeback, Luka Modri? netted an equalizer in the 85th minute, followed by Bellingham’s stoppage-time goal, preventing Madrid from suffering back-to-back league defeats for the first time since 2019. The win lifted the team to 43 points, putting them two points ahead of city rivals Atletico, although they’ve played one match more.
Taking place at the Mestalla Stadium, the matchup featured Valencia at the bottom of the table and Real Madrid near the top. The struggling home side initially took the lead in the 27th minute when Hugo Duro managed to tap in the rebound after a shot struck the post and fell kindly into his path.
Real Madrid gradually found their rhythm in the second half, but a frustrating night seemed in store for the visitors. Kylian Mbappé earned a penalty in the 55th minute; however, Bellingham’s attempt struck the post. Shortly thereafter, a goal by Mbappé was disallowed following a video review.
Real Madrid faced additional setbacks when Vinicius pushed Valencia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski, leading to a red card after a lengthy review process with 11 minutes remaining. Yet, Carlo Ancelotti’s substitutions turned the tide.
Modri?, who came on in the 80th minute, made an immediate impact, skillfully maneuvering through defenders to score the equalizer just five minutes into his appearance. Despite being reduced to ten players, the momentum swung in Real’s favor, and during stoppage time, Bellingham made up for his previous miss.
A slip by Valencia defender Hugo Guillamón allowed Bellingham to pounce on the loose ball, and the Englishman expertly finished with only the goalkeeper to beat. However, the match still held one last moment of tension; Valencia’s Luis Roja almost snatched an equalizer but was denied when his long-range shot struck the post right at the end of the game.
As a result, Valencia remained second from the bottom in the standings.
In other tournament action, the fourth-tier team Pontevedra pulled off an impressive 3-0 upset against La Liga’s Mallorca, advancing to the last 16 of the Copa del Rey. Dalisson de Almeida opened the scoring with a long-range effort after just 21 minutes, followed by Yelko Pino’s spectacular volley just after halftime. Rufo added a third goal late in the match after a defensive blunder from their opponents.
This victory came after Pontevedra eliminated Villarreal in the previous round.
Moreover, other games saw first-division clubs Rayo Vallecano and Getafe securing their progression. Getafe triumphed over second-division Granada in extra time, with Borja Mayoral netting the decisive goal in the third minute of added time after the match remained goalless. Rayo Vallecano comfortably dispatched Racing Ferrol, leading 2-0 at halftime courtesy of goals from Alfonso Espino and Jorge de Frutos, who later added a third, with Álvaro Giménez scoring a late consolation for the home team.
