Hugo Duro delivered a dramatic late header to secure a 2-1 victory for Valencia at the Santiago Bernabeu, severely denting Real Madrid’s La Liga title aspirations.
The former Real Madrid youth player, who had come on as a substitute in the second half, finished off a swift counter-attack to score the decisive goal five minutes into added time.
The result handed Real Madrid a painful blow, preventing them from moving level on points with Barcelona, who were set to play Real Betis later that day.
“La Liga is more complicated now, but we have to fight until the last game,” said Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti after the match.
For Valencia, the win lifted them to 15th in the standings, seven points clear of the relegation zone, easing their own concerns about survival.
The match started with Real Madrid getting an early chance to seize control when Valencia’s Cesar Tarrega was judged to have fouled Kylian Mbappe in the penalty area.
However, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Valencia’s impressive goalkeeper, saved Vinicius Junior’s weak penalty, marking his second consecutive miss from the spot for Real after he failed to convert in a Champions League tie against Atletico Madrid.
Within a minute of the penalty drama, Valencia stunned Madrid by going on the attack. A corner kick led to Mouctar Diakhaby leaping higher than Antonio Rudiger to power home a header, giving the visitors an early lead.
Real Madrid responded in the second half, equalizing in the 50th minute when Vinicius Junior bundled the ball over the line in a scramble following a Real corner.
The goal marked Vinicius’ 104th for the club, tying him with Brazilian legend Ronaldo.
Despite controlling much of the possession, Real Madrid’s performance was lackluster, particularly ahead of their upcoming Champions League quarter-final clash with Arsenal.
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Mbappe had several chances to put Madrid ahead but wasted five opportunities, including one in the 36th minute and another in the 68th.
Mamardashvili continued to keep Valencia in the game with a string of crucial saves, proving himself the standout player for the visitors. Then, in the dying moments of added time, Valencia struck with a counter-attacking move.
Rafa Mir provided the assist with a precise cross, and Duro made no mistake, heading the ball past Fran Gonzalez, Madrid’s third-choice goalkeeper, to seal the win.
Ancelotti reflected on the defeat, stating, “We didn’t need to do much to concede two goals. We took risks at the end and got hit on the counter. We’ve had deserved defeats this season, but I don’t think we lacked attitude today. We created plenty of chances but lacked the finishing touch.”
The match saw Fran Gonzalez starting in goal due to injuries to regular keepers Thibaut Courtois and Andriy Lunin.
Ancelotti is now facing a crucial few weeks, with Madrid preparing for their Champions League clash with Arsenal and the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona on April 26 in Seville.
“The match against Barcelona will be different,” Ancelotti added. “They’ll attack more, and we’ll need to be better defensively and more effective in front of goal.”
