Real Madrid beat Valencia 3-0 at Mestalla on Saturday, with Kylian Mbappe scoring for a seventh straight game to take Mourinho’s side level with La Liga leaders Barcelona. The win made it eight in a row in all competitions for Mourinho’s side.
Valverde and Guler struck before the interval to give Madrid control, and Mbappe completed the scoring after the break. The win took Jose Mourinho’s side level on points with Barcelona, who visit Atletico Madrid on Sunday aiming to move clear again.
Madrid largely dominated at Mestalla. Valverde drilled the opener from outside the area after Mbappe’s free kick was blocked by the Valencia wall and fell to the Uruguayan. Guler soon doubled the lead after Jude Bellingham’s cross was deflected kindly into his path.
How Real Madrid beat Valencia at Mestalla
Valencia had an early warning when Guido Rodriguez had a goal ruled out for offside. After that, Madrid took control and rarely looked troubled.
Dimitrievski saved from Guler, Mbappe and Bellingham before Mbappe finally scored, bursting onto a pass from Guler to squeeze home his 13th league goal of the season.
It was his 17th goal in 16 games in all competitions, and his seventh straight scoring game, as his form carries the attack while Vinicius Junior serves a suspension.
Madrid were without Vinicius Junior, serving the final game of a four-match ban, but they have thrived in his absence. The win kept the pressure on Barcelona, beaten by Madrid in the Camp Nou Clasico on October 25.
“From my experience, this team smells good,” Mourinho told reporters. He said his team had not lost their heads after their last defeat, by Atletico Madrid on September 20, after which the winning run began.
“We never had chaos, we’ve been calm, we understand why we lost that game,” Mourinho said. “I always fight for people to be balanced in the good moments, I always tell them that winning games in a team like Real Madrid, you can’t be taken up in a whirlwind of joy, winning games at Real Madrid has to be normality.”
Valencia captain Jose Gaya was sent off with around 10 minutes left for a late foul on Mbappe. Valencia sit 19th, a point from safety.
“We knew it would be a tough game, facing Madrid at their best moment of the season,” Gaya told DAZN. “We tried in the second half, changed our system… but we couldn’t get into the game.”
A night of tribute for Jesus de Miguel
Spanish football paid tribute to Jesus de Miguel, the Tenerife striker who died on Tuesday after a collision with Andorra’s goalkeeper in a second division match on Monday.
There was a minute of silence before kick-off and applause in the ninth minute, his shirt number. In Tenerife, fans and players gathered for a memorial and farewell.
“You knew what it meant to work towards a common goal, you understood football as something that went far beyond oneself,” Tenerife captain Enric Gallego said in an emotional speech. “Just a few days ago, we were sharing all of that with you, today we have to speak of you in the past tense. It’s terribly unfair.”
De Miguel’s funeral took place on Thursday, and around 400 mourners attended, including Spain coach Luis de la Fuente and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.
The title race and the rest of the weekend
The result leaves the title race finely poised: Barcelona can move clear again by winning at Atletico on Sunday, but Madrid’s eight straight wins have made it a two-horse race. Barcelona have tied Raphinha to a new deal running to 2030, and they will need their attack firing to stay ahead of a Madrid side that has found its rhythm.
Mbappe is the form player in Spain, with 13 league goals and a goal in each of his last seven games, while Lionel Messi has also been collecting honours across the Atlantic with a second straight MLS Golden Boot.
Elsewhere in Spain, new Espanyol coach Eder Sarabia’s side were held to a goalless home draw by Deportivo La Coruna. Osasuna snatched a late 1-1 draw against Athletic Bilbao, while Racing Santander came from behind to beat Malaga 2-1. In Europe this week, the Champions League produced another round of big results.
Madrid will now look to extend their winning run. Valencia, 19th and a point from safety, must regroup quickly under Javier Aguirre.
Frequently asked questions
What was the score when Real Madrid beat Valencia?
Real Madrid won 3-0 at Mestalla. Federico Valverde and Arda Guler scored in the first half, and Kylian Mbappe added the third after the break.
How many goals has Mbappe scored this season?
Mbappe has scored 13 league goals and 17 goals in 16 games in all competitions. He has scored in each of his last seven appearances for Real Madrid.
Where do Real Madrid stand in La Liga?
The win took Real Madrid level on points with leaders Barcelona, who play Atletico Madrid on Sunday. Valencia are 19th, a point from safety.
Why was there a tribute during the match?
Spanish football paid tribute to Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel, who died after a collision in a second division match. Matches paused for applause in the ninth minute, his shirt number.
