Real Madrid lost 2-1 to Valencia in the La Liga match at the Santiago Bernabéu. It was even more painful because Vinicius Junior failed to score from a penalty for the second time in less than a month.
Vinicius’ penalty miss came in the 9th minute after Kylian Mbappé was brought down by Cesar Tarrega in the box. Vinicius’ weak shot was blocked by the Valencia goalkeeper, Giorgi Mamardashvili, who was on top form during the match. He had already stopped lots of chances for the home team.
Valencia took the lead shortly after through Mouctar Diakhaby’s header in the 15th minute, taking advantage of Andre Almeida’s corner. Although Madrid played better than Valencia, they still found it hard to get past the solid defence of their opponents.
Vinicius had a chance to make up for his mistake by scoring the equaliser in the 50th minute from a corner. But disaster struck in the last minutes of the match. Five minutes into extra time, Hugo Duro scored the winner on a fast counterattack that shocked the Bernabéu crowd.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti spoke up for Vinicius Junior, who was booed by fans for missing a penalty.
“Vinicius is focused on his game. He can play well or badly, but he is not distracted,” said Ancelotti.
He also said that Madrid still have a chance of winning La Liga, even though they are now four points behind Barcelona.
“After this defeat it is more difficult, but we will fight until the end. This season has been difficult because of penalties. Bellingham, Mbappé and Vinicius have all missed penalties.”
With this win, Barcelona now top the standings with 66 points and a game in hand. If they beat Real Betis, they will be six points ahead with eight games left. Atletico Madrid are in third place, nine points behind Barca.
There is still plenty of drama in La Liga this season, and every point is crucial in the race for the title. However, for Madrid, losing to Valencia could be a big blow if they don’t recover quickly.
