Real Madrid beat 10-man Valencia 3-0 to move provisionally level with leaders Barcelona

Real Madrid won 3-0 at Valencia at the Mestalla stadium on Saturday. Valencia finished the match with 10 men.

Federico Valverde and Arda Guler scored in the first half. Kylian Mbappe added a third goal in the second half. He ran onto a pass from Guler and went past Valencia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski. It was Mbappe's 13th league goal of the season. He has now scored in seven consecutive matches.

The win moved Real Madrid, coached by Jose Mourinho, provisionally level on points with La Liga leaders Barcelona. It was Real Madrid's eighth consecutive win across all competitions. Reigning champions Barcelona visit third-placed Atletico Madrid on Sunday. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include the result of that match.

How the match unfolded

The following details come from Al Jazeera only.

Real Madrid played without winger Vinicius Junior. He was serving the final game of a four-match ban, according to Al Jazeera.

In the ninth minute, play stopped so players and fans could pay tribute to Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel, who died on Tuesday, Al Jazeera reported.

According to Al Jazeera, Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois saved a shot from Valencia's Aaron Mayol after Mayol took the ball from Aurelien Tchouameni. Valencia's Guido Rodriguez had a goal disallowed for offside before Real Madrid scored.

Al Jazeera reported that Valverde scored with a shot from outside the area after a Mbappe free kick was blocked by the Valencia wall and fell to him. Guler's goal followed a Jude Bellingham cross that was deflected into his path.

In the second half, Dimitrievski made several saves, including against Guler, Mbappe and Bellingham, according to Al Jazeera. Valencia's Jose Gaya was sent off with about 10 minutes remaining for a late sliding foul on Mbappe.

Al Jazeera also reported that Mbappe's goal was his 17th in 16 games across all competitions. It said Real Madrid beat Barcelona in the Clasico at Camp Nou on 25 October, and that Valencia are coached by Javier Aguirre.

About these reports

The Guardian covers the match in a short section of a wider European football roundup. Where that section overlaps with Al Jazeera's longer report, the wording is nearly identical, including the description of Mbappe's goal. Neither outlet credits a news agency or original reporter. This suggests the overlapping passages may share a single origin, which cannot be established from the reports.

The reports do not include comments from players, Mourinho, Aguirre or either club. They do not give the minutes of the goals. They do not give the exact minute of Gaya's red card or describe any referee or VAR explanation. They do not include attendance figures or match statistics. They do not describe the circumstances of de Miguel's death.

Analysis

The result keeps Real Madrid in close contention at the top of La Liga, but their position remains provisional until Barcelona play Atletico Madrid on Sunday. A Barcelona win would restore their lead. Any other result would change the picture. Eight consecutive wins and Mbappe's scoring run point to strong recent form. Form alone does not determine future results. Vinicius Junior's reported return after his ban could add options for Mourinho. For Valencia, playing the final minutes with 10 men limits what this match shows about their level. The reports do not include either side's assessment.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.