Valencia Stuns Real Madrid with 2-1 Win at Santiago Bernabeu

Vinicius Misses Penalty as Madrid Fails to Capitalize on Early Opportunity

By DTD- On Apr 6, 2025

MADRID — Valencia dealt a significant blow to Real Madrid’s Spanish title hopes, defeating the hosts 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu with a dramatic winner in the fifth minute of added time. Hugo Duro, a former Real Madrid youth player, came off the bench in the second half to finish a swift counter-attack, heading the ball past Madrid’s goalkeeper to seal the victory for Valencia.

The result left Madrid unable to level on points with Barcelona, who were set to play Real Betis later that day. Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged the tough road ahead, stating, “La Liga is more complicated, but we have to fight until the last game.”

For Valencia, the win lifted them to 15th place in the league, providing a crucial seven-point cushion above the relegation zone.

Madrid was handed an early opportunity when Valencia’s Cesar Tarrega was penalized for a foul on Kylian Mbappe in the box. However, Valencia’s goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili made a crucial save to deny Vinicius Junior’s weak penalty, marking his second consecutive miss from the spot after a miss in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid.

Despite the setback, Valencia struck first. From a corner, Mouctar Diakhaby rose above Antonio Rudiger to power a header past Madrid’s goalkeeper. Real Madrid responded early in the second half, with Vinicius Junior scoring in a scramble following a corner, leveling the score at 1-1. The goal marked Vinicius’ 104th for Los Blancos, equaling the tally of Brazilian legend Ronaldo.

However, despite dominating possession, Real Madrid struggled to convert chances, particularly Mbappe, who missed several opportunities throughout the match. Valencia’s Mamardashvili was a standout, keeping his team in the game with a series of crucial saves.

In the dying moments, Valencia broke through. A fast counter-attack saw Rafa Mir deliver a precise cross to Duro, who headed it in to secure all three points. Ancelotti was critical of his team’s inability to capitalize on their chances, saying, “They didn’t need to do much to score two goals… We took risks at the end and found ourselves hit on the counter-attack.”

With first-choice goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois sidelined by injury, Ancelotti opted for third-choice Fran Gonzalez to start in goal, with Andriy Lunin fit enough to be named on the bench.

Looking ahead, Ancelotti will need to shift focus to Real Madrid’s Champions League quarter-final clash with Arsenal and the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona on April 26. “The match against Barca in the Copa del Rey will be different; they’ll attack more, and we’ll have to be better at the back and be effective up front,” Ancelotti concluded.