Jude Bellingham converted a missed penalty to give 10-man Real Madrid a 2-1 win at Valencia on Friday to go top of La Liga after winger Vinicius Junior was sent off.
Jude Bellingham converted a missed penalty to give 10-man Real Madrid a 2-1 win at Valencia on Friday to go top of La Liga after winger Vinicius Junior was sent off. Huro Duro put the visitors ahead in a fiery first half but Luka Modric equalized for Carlo Ancelotti's side. before Bellingham went into extra time.
Vinicius, who was racially abused by Valencia fans at the same stadium in 2022, was sent off for pushing Los Che goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski with just over 10 minutes left. Madrid then came back, but Bellingham powered in veteran midfielder Modric to equalize in the 85th minute and sparked a brilliant comeback.
Bellingham scored in the 96th minute after a defensive error by Valencia, putting Real within two points of Atlético Madrid at the top of the table, having played a game more than Diego Simeone's team.
"(Bellingham played a) great game, he didn't give up after the missed penalty, which gave him extra motivation," Ancelotti said. "He made an extraordinary effort-(the goal) was a reward for the game he played."
Ancelotti said he did not think Vinicius's challenge deserved a red card and was surprised by his team's poor start to the game. "We didn't think it was a red card. "It's hard to explain how badly we played in the first half and how well we played in the second, even with ten men. ourselves)."
Blanc's trip to face Valencia was postponed until late October after devastating floods hit the east coast region of Spain. The Spaniard from English Championship club West Bromwich Albion
Friends made an early start to the game, stifling the Real star-studded attack before breaking back 27 minutes into the match.
Dimitri Foulquier crosses for Javi Guerra, whose shot was brilliantly saved by Thibaut Courtois, but Duro turned the ball into the empty net.
"Thank you, team"
Mbappé was quiet in the first half, but a burst of speed early in the second half earned Madrid a penalty when Tarrega was adjudged to have brought him down. Bellingham was tasked with delivering the penalty but jumped short of hitting the ball and blasted a low shot over the post. Replays showed that Valencia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski was off his line when the penalty was taken, but the referees did not notice.
Mbappé, who missed two penalties for Real before Christmas, thought he had equalized by rounding Dimitrievski and scoring, but he was just out of the game.
Madrid were reduced to 10 men when Vinicius shoved Dimitrievski in the back of the head after the Valencia goalkeeper had pushed him after the Brazilian had fallen to the ground during a tackle in the area. Despite their numerical disadvantage, Madrid equalized when Bellingham pushed the ball in. for substitute Modric, 39, who scored.
The former Borussia Dortmund player grabbed the winner when Foulquier's poor pass put teammate Hugo Guillamon under pressure and Bellingham ran onto his pass in an attempt to finish with a backhand.
It was his sixth goal in his last seven games in all competitions, with Bellingham once again displaying the goalscoring form that helped him become an instant success with Madrid last season.
"Sorry and thanks to the team," he said Vinicius on the social network X after his colleagues spared him red. Valencia's Luis Rioja hit the post with a long-range effort in the 100th minute, inches away from a last-minute equalizer for his side.
Valencia, who have not won in La Liga since November, are four points away from the relegation zone." I don't care (about the score), the three points were important and we didn't get them," said striker Duro.“I hope I didn't score any goals in the rest of the season and that we will win the rest of our games 1-0 with an own goal."
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