Real Madrid’s trip to Mestalla came with little ambiguity in the context. After Barcelona’s win the day before, the margin for error was practically zero. It was one of those games where the result matters more than the performance… but where the performance always ends up saying a lot about the team’s current moment. Valencia, faithful to their present reality, set up a survival plan. Without the ball they played in a 5-4-1.
Real Madrid had the ball from the start, but it was slow, predictable, almost procedural possession. Circulation between centre-backs, horizontal passes, little penetration and even less presence between the lines. The absence of Vini Jr, Bellingham and Rodrygo took away creativity, unpredictability and the ability to accelerate in central areas.
Curiously, the team that gave the better competitive impression in the first half was Valencia. Not because they created much attacking volume, but because whenever they recovered the ball they managed to play out with composure and reach Madrid’s half without much resistance. They lacked quality in the final pass or the finish, but the team looked comfortable within their plan.
Real Madrid threatened at times with long-range shots and the odd individual initiative, but nothing that truly gave the feeling of an imminent goal.
The game was drifting into that dangerous territory where the favourite starts playing against the clock… until individual quality stepped in.
In the 65th minute, from what seemed like a Valencia-controlled positional attack, the ball reaches Álvaro Carreras on the left. The full-back drives inside, gets past several opponents (with a bit of fortune in the rebounds) and shoots at the near post to make it 0-1. A move more about persistence, bravery and individual talent than collective construction, but one that completely unlocked the game.
The goal forced Valencia to change their own nature. They pushed their lines up, took more risks, tried to press higher and that’s when spaces began to appear that hadn’t existed before. Even so, they had the moment of the match to equalise: Beltrán appears alone in the box, stretches to finish and the ball goes very close to the post. It was the 1-1 that could have changed the emotional direction of the game.
With Valencia more exposed, Real Madrid started to find what they hadn’t had for over an hour: space to run into. Mbappé began to appear in transition, Brahim added mobility and the game became more open. Still, the 0-1 kept everything alive until stoppage time.
It was already at 90+1’ that Madrid definitively killed the match. Huijsen plays long, Brahim Díaz gets in behind and assists Mbappé who, alone in the box, just has to tap in for 0-2. A simple goal in execution, but one that finally closes the game.
Post-game
An important win for Real Madrid, but far from reassuring in performance terms. For over an hour the team showed clear difficulties in breaking down a low block, with little creativity between the lines and excessive dependence on individual actions. The absence of their main attacking pieces also weighed on the team’s fluency.
Carreras unlocked a game that was stuck and Mbappé, even in a quiet match by his standards, once again showed up to close the accounts, which reflects a season where he decides games even when he doesn’t shine.
On Valencia’s side, the plan was well executed for long stretches. They competed, closed spaces and kept the game alive. But, as happens so often against teams of this level, they failed in the details: in finishing, in decision-making and in the ability to hold on after conceding.
Real Madrid take three mandatory points and keep up the chase at the top, but the feeling remains clear: they get the result, but not exactly confidence through their performance.