Latest La Liga Points Report: A Divine Script! Missed Penalty, Red Card, and a Last-minute Winner! Real Madrid Tops the Table with a 5-point Lead Over Barcelona
On the early morning of January 4th, Beijing time, the 12th round of the 2024-25 La Liga season saw a crucial make-up match between Valencia and reigning champions Real Madrid at the Mestalla Stadium. After 90 minutes of intense battle, Real Madrid managed a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over Valencia.
As Barcelona continued to struggle, both Madrid giants seized the opportunity to overtake them. With games in hand, both teams surpassed Barcelona. This make-up match was particularly important for Real Madrid, as a win would allow them to surpass Atletico Madrid and take the top spot, while also widening the gap with Barcelona. After the opening whistle, Real Madrid took control of the game, with their right flank pressing forward. In the 6th minute, Vazquez made a precise cutback pass inside the box, but Bale's close-range shot was heroically saved by goalkeeper Dimitrovic. In the 26th minute, Valencia launched a quick counterattack from the right, with Foulquier's cross finding Guedes at the edge of the six-yard box. His powerful shot was saved by Courtois, but Duro was there unmarked to tap in the rebound, giving Valencia a surprising 1-0 lead.
In the 37th minute, Real Madrid pushed from the left, with Bale attempting a powerful long-range shot that narrowly missed the target. In the second half, Real Madrid intensified their attack. Just six minutes after the restart, Vinicius dispossessed an opponent in the high press, with Mbappe quickly accelerating past Tarega. As he entered the box, Tarega brought him down, leading to a penalty call confirmed by VAR. Bellingham stepped up to take the penalty but hit the post, failing to convert. In the 58th minute, Bellingham nearly redeemed himself with a clever through ball to Mbappe, who finished well, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.
In the 78th minute, Real Madrid attacked from the left, with Vinicius driving into the box. Foulquier made a challenge, causing Vinicius to fall. The referee did not award a foul, but Dimitrovic took the opportunity to tap Vinicius on the back of the head, provoking the World Player of the Year. Vinicius retaliated with a push, resulting in a red card. Despite going down to ten men after missing a penalty and receiving a red card, Real Madrid remained determined to secure all three points. Their attacking momentum did not wane. In the 84th minute, Modric, who had just come on as a substitute, played a one-two with Diaz before calmly slotting the ball into the far corner to level the score at 1-1. Real Madrid were not content with just a draw. In stoppage time, they continued to press high up the pitch. In the 95th minute, Bellingham intercepted a loose pass and broke through to score the winner, completing his redemption. Real Madrid's victory was also aided by the post, which denied Valencia an equalizer in the 100th minute.
In the league standings, Real Madrid's dramatic comeback victory earned them three points, allowing them to overtake Atletico Madrid by two points and reclaim the top spot. They also extended their lead over Barcelona, who have played the same number of games, to five points. Atletico Madrid dropped to second place, three points ahead of Barcelona. Valencia, despite being defeated, remained level on points with bottom-placed Valladolid, still mired in the relegation zone.
In the scoring charts, the Barcelona duo continued to dominate, with Lewandowski leading the way on 16 goals, followed by Rafinha with 11. Mbappe's disallowed goal meant he remained tied for third with Budimir on 10 goals. Vinicius, who was sent off without scoring, stayed tied for fifth with eight goals. Bellingham, who scored the decisive goal, caught up with Griezmann et al., moving into the top ten with seven goals.
