Real Madrid closed the gap at the top of LaLiga after grinding out a professional 2-0 victory over Valencia on Sunday night, continuing their strong run of form on the road.
The opening half was cagey and short on clear chances, with Madrid dominating possession but struggling to break down a disciplined Valencia backline. The hosts showed flashes of threat through Lucas Beltran and Arnaut Danjuma, but failed to truly test Thibaut Courtois, while Stole Dimitrievski stood firm to deny efforts from Kylian Mbappe and Federico Valverde.
The breakthrough arrived in the 65th minute and came in spectacular fashion. Left-back Alvaro Carreras picked up the ball on the flank, drove relentlessly towards goal, skipped past three defenders and calmly slotted into the bottom corner to give Real Madrid the lead.
Valencia attempted to respond and went agonisingly close to equalising when Beltran clipped the post with a first-time effort, but their momentum faded as Madrid regained control. The visitors managed the tempo well, keeping the ball and limiting Valencia to speculative chances from distance.
Any lingering hope for the home side was extinguished in stoppage time. Mbappe, who had earlier missed a couple of presentable opportunities, finally got his reward when he timed his run to perfection, raced in behind the defence and finished from close range after being set up by Brahim Diaz to make it 2-0.
The win extends Madrid’s winning streak in the league to seven matches and moves them to within one point of leaders Barcelona, ensuring the title race remains finely poised. For Valencia, the defeat leaves them hovering dangerously above the relegation zone, with pressure mounting as the season enters its decisive phase.
