Valencia had spent four seasons without scoring goals at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu (nor at Valdebebas) and were able to do so on Saturday with a penalty that Ferland Mendy could have avoided. Hernandez Hernandez, the referee, could also have avoided the first penalty of the evening, given Casemiro’s annoyance to the visitors.
Last season, Valencia were handed three penalties by Gil Manzano in Mestalla but that is no longer remembered by anyone or almost anyone. This is football and this is life.
No matter what, Real Madrid beat Valencia in the second half, while Los Blancos usually stepped on the gas if the outcome was not decided. And the star of the team and the game was, again, Vinicius. The Brazilian international had another great game and his goal passed them, which is a show the team missed him at Getafe. Times have changed a bit, that’s obvious. Do you remember when this Brazilian player had to play on the right for Eden Hazard to play on the left?
How long has that been visible? Carlo Ancelotti did not give a minute to Eden Hazard against Valencia. He did what he had to do, which was to fend off Val Valde and put Marco Asensio on the left, who did not score but had a head injury to defend Valencia.
Hazard’s replacement, Ancelotti has given Dani Ceballos another chance, who is already a talented player and could give Los Blancos another level in the middle of the pitch. And in the end, Madrid ended up with three crucial points after a humiliating defeat against Getafe.
