Two goals scored by Vinicius and Benzema in the 85th and 88th minutes led to Real Madrid’s comeback at Mestalla in an even, intense clash with alternatives, but one that the visiting team controlled completely in the final ten minutes.
The game started at a high pace, with long possessions by both teams, especially in the case of Real Madrid, against a Valencia that was looking for more direct football, but had to stop when it couldn’t find options to offer it.
This dynamic led to approaches to both areas and although they were not particularly dangerous, they did force the two goalkeepers to use them correctly.
The first setbacks were for the locals with the injuries to their captain, Carlos Soler, a quarter of an hour into the game, and to the sideline Correia, ten minutes later.
Valencia did not feel the blow and maintained the same dynamic of play with the entry of Musah for Soler and Lato for Correia, which caused Folquier to move to the right wing.
Shortly after, it was Carvajal’s turn, who was also injured. Lucas Vazquez entered his position without changing the drawing of Carlo Ancelotti’s team.
The play most protested by the public was the fall of Maxi Gomez when he was fighting with Alaba to be left alone against Courtois, in which the referee did not call a foul.
The equality with which the break was reached reflected the balance of forces in the first 45 minutes of a very intense and disputed clash in which the forces were even.
Valencia came out more incisive after the break and had several goal options that they failed in a phase of the game in which their rival could not find a way to approach the goal of the team coached by Pepe Bordalas.
When the first hour of play was completed, Real Madrid had gotten back into the match and began to play closer and closer to the Valencian goal, although without offensive clarity in their actions.
That lack of clarity did not prevent the match from being one of alternatives and that at any moment an isolated action could open the scoring in another goal.
That’s how it went. An elaborate play by Valencia ended with a low left-footed cross shot from Hugo Duro that opened the scoring and changed the dynamics of the match.
The Madrid team turned to the Mamardashvili area, they began to have options to draw, but it also opened spaces for the locals to have options with the football that suits them best.
The carousel of changes that occurred in both teams ten minutes from the end caused an overwhelming dominance of the Madrid team, the tie achieved with a good shot by Vinicius and the 1-2 three minutes later in a header from Benzema.
By then, Valencia had run out of steam, so they didn’t have any chance to extend the lead, beat the equalizing goal or, finally, score at least one point.
