Valencia vs Real Madrid: Güler and Mbappé shine as Los Blancos put pressure on Barcelona

Real Madrid delivered a commanding 3-0 victory over a ten-man Valencia side at the Estadio de Mestalla on Saturday evening, securing their fifth consecutive LALIGA win to maintain the intense pressure at the top of the table.

The encounter saw José Mourinho’s men assert their dominance early on against a struggling Valencia squad managed by Javier Aguirre. 

Despite being without the suspended Vinícius Júnior, Real Madrid showcased their overwhelming attacking depth, completely dismantling the hosts and cruising to three points to extend their phenomenal recent form.

Real Madrid dictated the tempo from the opening whistle, monopolising possession and forcing Valencia back into their own half. The relentless pressure paid off in the 28th minute when Federico Valverde broke the deadlock. 

Following a blocked free-kick from Kylian Mbappé, the Uruguayan midfielder pounced on the rebound and unleashed a powerful strike into the bottom corner to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Before Valencia could mount a response, Real Madrid struck again. In the 36th minute, Turkish sensation Arda Güler doubled the advantage, finding the top corner with a brilliant finish to send Los Blancos into the halftime break with a comfortable 2-0 cushion. 

Valencia, who managed just one shot on target in the first half, struggled to break down the resilient Madrid defence anchored by Ibrahima Konaté and Dean Huijsen.

The second half brought more of the same as Real Madrid expertly managed their lead. The game was effectively put out of reach in the 74th minute.

 Arda Güler turned provider, slipping a precise through ball to Kylian Mbappé, who made no mistake and dispatched the finish to make it 3-0. 

Valencia's miserable afternoon was compounded just five minutes later when defender José Gayà was shown a straight red card in the 79th minute for bringing down Mbappé and denying a clear goalscoring opportunity, leaving the hosts to finish the match with ten men.