Defending LaLiga champions suffer a shocking defeat at home as their title defense falters.
Substitute Hugo Duro proved to be Valencia’s hero, scoring the winning goal in the 90th minute, silencing the usually vibrant Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
Valencia took the lead in the 17th minute when Mouctar Diakhaby scored from a header, despite a miss from Vinicius Junior on an early penalty. Vinicius later equalized in the 50th minute but couldn’t prevent Duro’s decisive strike.
This defeats see Real Madrid trailing Barcelona by three points, with the latter playing later against Real Betis and having the chance to extend their lead.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti was forced to start young goalkeeper Fran Gonzalez, making his debut, due to injuries to Thibaut Courtois and Andriy Lunin.
“It was the ideal place for us to win away from home,” Valencia midfielder Javi Guerra commented, noting the significance of their victory at a stadium where few teams manage to secure a positive result.
The win marks a turning point for Valencia since Carlos Corberan took over from Ruben Baraja, lifting the team from the relegation zone to a more comfortable 15th place, seven points clear of danger.
Vinicius’s penalty miss, combined with his previous miss in a Champions League game against Atletico Madrid, did not bode well for Madrid, further amplified by Valencia’s sharp counter-attack that ultimately saw them victorious.
