Valencia Stuns Real Madrid with Late Header, Alters LaLiga Title Race

Madrid, Spain — Valencia shocked Real Madrid with a 2-1 victory at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on Saturday, amplifying the tension in the LaLiga title race. The win adds more complexity to the championship chase, as Hansi Flick‘s Barcelona, leading the standings, can extend their advantage if they win later.

Despite dominating possession and creating numerous chances, Madrid faltered, missing key opportunities, including a penalty kick taken by Vinícius Júnior in the first half. The Brazilian striker, who recently missed another penalty in a Champions League match, attempted a low shot to the left but was thwarted by Valencia’s goalkeeper, Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Valencia drew first blood in the 15th minute, with defender Maximiliano Gómez scoring with a header from a corner. In a moment of misfortune for Valencia, Gómez nearly equalized the score for Madrid when he attempted a clearance that almost found the back of his own net, but VAR intervened to rule out the goal due to an offside.

Madrid fought back after halftime, with Vinícius finally finding the net in the 50th minute, capitalizing on a corner kick. However, they struggled to convert further opportunities, with Mamardashvili making several impressive saves to deny Madrid’s star striker, Kylian Mbappé, multiple times.

Valencia sealed the victory in dramatic fashion during stoppage time. After a rapid counterattack, Hugo Duro‘s powerful header delivered their first away win of the LaLiga season, sending their visiting fans into jubilation and leaving Madrid’s players dejected.

“Now [fighting for the LaLiga title] has become more complicated; it’s a result that leaves us with a bitter taste in the mouth,” Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti told reporters. “I think we played a good game, created a lot of chances, and came very close to scoring. It’s frustrating, but I don’t think it’s an attitude problem.”

Currently, Barcelona leads the league with 66 points, followed by Real Madrid with 63 points and Atlético Madrid at 54 points. If Barcelona wins their upcoming match against Villarreal, they will extend their lead to six points with only eight games remaining in the season.

As the season heads into the final stretch, the stakes continue to rise. Ancelotti will need to regroup his players quickly as they prepare for their upcoming fixtures, with the LaLiga title increasingly hanging in the balance.