Valencia Triumphs at Bernabéu, Leaving Real Madrid in a Tight Spot

Valencia returned to conquer the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday, 6,221 days later, delivering a severe blow to Real Madrid's hopes of retaining the La Liga title. A last-minute goal by Hugo Duro ended a 17-year drought for the bat team at Chamartín's temple, leaving the whites in a precarious position in their battle with Barça for domestic supremacy. The late strike by the Getafe-born forward, his fifth in nine matches against his former team, pushes Carlo Ancelotti's squad further from their goal, as playing with fire eventually led to being burned.

The arrival of Carlos Corberán on the bench late last year has revitalised Valencia, who crossed the long-resisted threshold by securing their first away win of the season at none other than Real Madrid's home, a fortress that had eluded the ches since 2008, but was breached in a match where luck deserted the hosts.

The whites squandered a poorly executed penalty by Vinicius before Diakhaby punished Ancelotti's men again for their vulnerability in set-piece defence. They equalised early in the second half through Vinicius and had chances to claim victory, especially through Mbappé, but lacked the usual touch of fortune, complicating their league campaign amidst numerous challenges.

In Ancelotti's lineup, the wear of the Cup and the Champions League's tight schedule weighed heavily. The Italian initially rested Asencio, Camavinga, and Rodrygo, likely starters on Tuesday against Arsenal, and placed Tchouaméni, who will miss the Emirates due to suspension, alongside Rüdiger in the defensive axis. The big news, however, was in goal, where Fran González made his elite debut.

At 19 years and 285 days, the Leonese was called up due to the physical issues of Courtois and Lunin, becoming the fifth-youngest goalkeeper to debut for Real Madrid. None of the four who preceded him in precocity managed to keep a clean sheet in their debut. The giant from La Fábrica faced a challenging match that turned against his team in a forgettable first half.

The string of setbacks for the whites began with a penalty awarded by Cuadra Fernández, which Vinicius struck against Mamardashvili's body, a goal conceded from a corner where Diakhaby outplayed Rüdiger with a header that left Fran González helpless, and an own goal by Diakhaby due to Mbappé's offside that spared the French centre-back, who was nearly caught out by a lapse that could have cost Valencia dearly.

Despite this, Real Madrid deserved more, with two great chances to equalise through Mbappé and another from Bellingham before Vinicius once again punished his favourite victim early in the second half. The Brazilian capitalised on a corner exquisitely taken by Modric and flicked on by Bellingham to score his ninth goal in twelve encounters against Valencia, finishing at the far post after outmanoeuvring Jesús Vázquez.

Vinicius's goal boosted Real Madrid's morale and strengthened their resolve, as they returned from the break with renewed vigour. Ancelotti's side increased the pressure, widened the field, quickened ball circulation, and launched an all-out assault on Mamardashvili's goal.

Valencia struggled with the shifting play but remained competitive, increasing their aerial threat. Rafa Mir, another aerial powerhouse, entered the fray, and Tárrega continued to pose a threat from set-pieces, having nearly scored the 0-2 in the first half with a header to the far post that narrowly missed, while Diakhaby tested Fran González with a header from a ball previously touched by Tárrega, only to be met with a fine save from the young Real Madrid goalkeeper.

Real Madrid kept pushing, with Valverde's close-range shot from Mbappé's pass nearly completing the comeback, only for Mamardashvili to deny them with a titanic save. However, as they pushed for victory, they became disorganised and ultimately suffered a defeat that could bury their chances.