Real Madrid Beat Valencia 3-0 to Join Barcelona at La Liga Summit

Real Madrid moved level on points with La Liga leaders Barcelona after securing a convincing 3-0 victory over Valencia on Saturday.

Federico Valverde and Arda Güler scored in the first half before Kylian Mbappé completed the victory after the break. The result extended Madrid’s winning streak to eight matches across all competitions.

The match at Mestalla also featured an emotional tribute to Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel, who died on Tuesday following a collision with Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono during a second-division match.

Spanish Football Pays Tribute to Jesús de Miguel

Players from Real Madrid and Valencia wore special shirts bearing the number nine and the message “Always in our memory” before kick-off.

The teams observed a minute of silence and paid tribute with a floral offering. The referee also stopped the match in the ninth minute, reflecting De Miguel’s shirt number.

Meanwhile, supporters and players gathered at Tenerife’s stadium for a memorial ceremony.

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Tenerife captain Enric Gallego delivered an emotional speech, remembering De Miguel’s commitment to teamwork and the club.

“You knew what it meant to work towards a common goal, you understood football as something that went far beyond oneself,” Gallego said.

“Just a few days ago, we were sharing all of that with you — today we have to speak of you in the past tense. It’s terribly unfair.”

De Miguel’s funeral took place on Thursday. Around 400 mourners attended, including Spain coach Luis de la Fuente and Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez.

Valverde and Güler Put Madrid in Control

Madrid dominated much of the contest and took the lead through Valverde.

The Uruguayan midfielder struck from outside the penalty area after Valencia’s defensive wall blocked a free-kick from Mbappé.

Güler soon doubled the advantage. Jude Bellingham delivered a cross that took a favourable deflection and fell into the Turkish midfielder’s path.

Valencia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski denied further attempts from Güler, Mbappé and Bellingham as Madrid searched for another goal.

Mbappé eventually settled the contest. He collected a dangerous pass from Güler, accelerated past Dimitrievski and finished to make it 3-0.

The goal marked Mbappé’s 13th in La Liga this season and his 17th in 16 appearances across all competitions. He has now scored in seven consecutive matches for Madrid.

Mourinho Praises Madrid’s Mentality

Madrid coach José Mourinho praised his team’s confidence and collective approach.

“From my experience, this team smells good,” Mourinho told reporters.

He also said the players remained calm after their defeat against Atlético Madrid on September 20. Madrid have won every match since that loss.

“We never had chaos, we’ve been calm, we understand why we lost that game,” he said.

Mourinho stressed that Real Madrid players must maintain balance during successful periods rather than become carried away by victories.

Madrid played without winger Vinícius Júnior, who served the final match of his four-game suspension.

Meanwhile, Valencia captain José Gayà received a red card with around 10 minutes remaining. The referee dismissed him for a late sliding challenge on Mbappé.

Valencia remain 19th in the standings, one point away from safety.

Barcelona Face Atlético Madrid

Barcelona have an opportunity to regain their outright lead when they visit third-placed Atlético Madrid on Sunday.

The result at Mestalla has increased pressure on the defending champions as the title race develops.

Elsewhere, Espanyol played out a goalless draw against Deportivo La Coruña under new coach Eder Sarabia.

Osasuna secured a late 1-1 draw against Athletic Bilbao, while Racing Santander came from behind to defeat Málaga 2-1.