A thrilling match unfolded in the La Liga as Real Madrid faced off against Valencia in a make-up game for the 12th round. Real Madrid has not had a particularly impressive season so far, with only 12 wins out of 18 league games, suffering 2 losses and drawing 4 times. This record has placed them in a fierce battle for the championship. In this crucial make-up game, they faced Valencia, a team struggling in the relegation zone. In their last three encounters, Real Madrid had one win, one draw, and one loss. However, this time, they managed an incredible comeback to secure all three points.
Real Madrid lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Kylian Mbappe leading the attack. Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, and Rodrygo were the attacking trio, while Federico Valverde and Dani Ceballos formed the double pivot in midfield. Ferland Mendy, Antonio Rüdiger, Éder Militão, and Lucas Vázquez started as the four defenders, with Thibaut Courtois in goal. Eduardo Camavinga, Marco Asensio, Borja Mayoral, and Luka Modrić were on standby on the bench.
Valencia started the game with a sharp offensive, creating several chances. However, it was not until the 27th minute that they capitalized on their opportunities when Hugo Duro scored after a rebound from a shot by Héctor Hernández. Despite Real Madrid's efforts to respond more aggressively in the second half, they found themselves trailing 0-1 at halftime. They had 64% possession and 12 shots, but only three were on target, failing to score. Valencia, on the other hand, had seven shots, five on target, scoring once.
In the second half, Real Madrid launched a furious counterattack. Mbappe earned a penalty, but Bellingham missed it. Later, Mbappe scored, but it was ruled out due to offside. Rodrygo and Vázquez also failed to convert their chances. The situation worsened when Vinicius was sent off with a red card for retaliation in the 79th minute. Surprisingly, Real Madrid, now down to ten men, scored two goals in quick succession. First, Modrić equalized, followed by Bellingham scoring the decisive goal in stoppage time. It was an unbelievable turn of events as Real Madrid won 2-1 against Valencia with ten men.
Carlo Ancelotti's strategic substitution of bringing on Modrić changed the course of the game. Modrić set a new club record, becoming the oldest goalscorer for Real Madrid at 39 years and 116 days. Bellingham redeemed himself after missing the penalty, contributing an assist and a goal to help Real Madrid achieve the comeback. Mbappe, however, had a disappointing performance, trapped offside and registering zero shots throughout the match.
