In a surprising La Liga result, Real Madrid fell 2-1 to Valencia at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, delivering a significant blow to their 2024-25 La Liga title hopes. The defeat came courtesy of goals from Mouctar Diakhaby and Hugo Duro, sealing Valencia’s first away win of the season.
Valencia Stuns Madrid with Last-Minute Winner
Valencia opened the scoring through a powerful header by Mouctar Diakhaby following a corner kick. Despite Real Madrid earning a penalty shortly after, Vinicius Jr. failed to convert, with his tame effort easily saved by Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Moments after the penalty miss, Diakhaby put the visitors ahead, but nearly turned from hero to villain with a near-own goal—ultimately ruled out for offside following a VAR check involving Kylian Mbappe in the buildup.
Vinicius Jr. Equalizes, But Late Hugo Duro Header Seals the Match
Real Madrid began the second half with renewed energy. Vinicius Jr. redeemed himself by scoring the equaliser from close range, capitalizing on Jude Bellingham’s flick-on from a Luka Modric corner.
Despite chances from Kylian Mbappe, who was denied on multiple occasions, the breakthrough didn’t come. Instead, it was Valencia’s Hugo Duro who dealt the final blow in the 95th minute, heading home the winner and securing all three points for the visitors.
A Costly Setback for Real Madrid in the Title Race
This defeat
marks a crucial setback for Carlo Ancelotti’s side in the tightly contested La Liga title race, as rivals continue to apply pressure at the top of the table. While Real Madrid dominated possession and chances, their inability to finish proved costly.
With this result, Valencia clinched their first away victory of the season, while Real
Madrid are left to regroup ahead of upcoming fixtures that could define their campaign.
