Real Madrid 1-2 Valencia: Valencia defeats Real Madrid after missed penalty by Vinicius Jr
Real Madrid’s La Liga title push took a heavy blow as they suffered a dramatic 2-1 defeat at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday, with former youth player Hugo Duro scoring a stoppage-time winner for Valencia.
Duro, who replaced Roman Yaremchuk in the second half, headed home a Rafa Mir cross five minutes into added time, capping a lightning counter-attack that stunned the home crowd and left Los Blancos trailing Barcelona in the title race.
Penalty Miss, Set-Piece Blow, and Duro’s Late Strike
Real Madrid had a golden opportunity to seize control early on when César Tárrega fouled Kylian Mbappé in the box. But Vinícius Júnior’s weak penalty was easily saved by Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili — his second consecutive miss from the spot following his Champions League miss against Atlético Madrid.
Moments later, Valencia capitalized. From the ensuing corner, Mouctar Diakhaby rose above Antonio Rüdiger to head in the opener and silence the Bernabéu. Madrid responded after the break. A chaotic scramble from a corner allowed Vinícius to poke home the equalizer — his 104th goal for the club, drawing him level with Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazário on the club’s all-time scorers list.
Despite Real dominating possession and creating multiple chances — particularly through Mbappé, who wasted five clear-cut opportunities — the finishing touch was missing.
READ ALSO: Real Madrid hold Real Sociedad in eight-goal thriller to reach Copa del Rey Final
Valencia Snatch It at the Death
In the dying minutes, Valencia launched one final attack, with substitute Rafa Mir sprinting down the flank and delivering a perfect cross to Hugo Duro, who expertly nodded home the winner against his former club.
The goal was Duro’s sixth of the season and lifted Valencia to 15th in the table, a crucial result in their fight for survival. They now sit seven points above the relegation zone.
Ancelotti: “Not a Deserved Defeat”
Real boss Carlo Ancelotti admitted his side lacked cutting edge but felt the loss was harsh:
“We created a lot but lacked effectiveness. It’s not a deserved defeat. They didn’t need to do much to score two goals.”
With injuries to both Thibaut Courtois and Andriy Lunin, third-choice goalkeeper Fran González started for Madrid, while Lunin was fit enough to return to the bench.
The timing couldn’t be worse for Ancelotti’s men, who face Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday, followed by the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona on April 26 in Seville.
“That Copa game will be different,” said Ancelotti. “We’ll need to be tighter at the back and more clinical up front.”
Title Race Impact
The loss leaves Madrid trailing leaders Barcelona, who faced Real Betis later in the day. A win for Xavi’s side could open up a three-point gap at the top of La Liga.
Match Highlights: Real Madrid 1–2 Valencia
- ⚽ 17’ – Diakhaby header from corner (0-1)
- ❌ 21’ – Vinícius Jr. penalty saved
- ⚽ 50’ – Vinícius equalizer from corner scramble (1-1)
- ⚽ +90’ – Duro heads late winner from Rafa Mir cross (1-2)
SportsLigue