Real Madrid extended their lead over Villarreal at the top to seven points with a 4-0 win over Valencia on Saturday.
Three first-half goals, which included a brace from Kylian Mbappe and a Jude Bellingham strike gave Madrid a clear lead. Álvaro Carreras added a fourth late on with the goal of the game.
It allowed Xabi Alonso to rest players in the second half, with Valencia offering nothing going forward, and they were looking to just leave without being embarrassed.
Valencia came to defend and try to catch the home team on the counterattack. However, that play was scuppered after 19 minutes. VAR has been a hot topic in the last game against Barcelona, and this time it ruled in Real Madrid’s favor.
When referee Mateo Busquets was sent over to the screen, he could have awarded a penalty for any one of three fouls: A handball and defenders holding Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham when the cross was delivered. He did award it for the handball, with Mbappe making no mistake from the spot after missing in the El Clasico.
In the 31st minute, Los Blancos could have sealed the three points, as Valencia showed no attacking intent in the first half an hour. That man again, Mbappe volleyed home, picked out brilliantly by Arada Guler. The Turk was, in turn, played through by Bellingham, with the forward players enjoying their time on the pitch.
Five minutes before half-time, the home team had another chance from the spot, Alvaro Carreras was brought down in the box. This time, Vinicius Jr. stepped up and saw his spot kick saved, with goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala also saving wonderfully from Guler on the rebound.
However, it was 3-0 moments later with Bellingham scoring with a powerful shot from the edge of the area.
The score allowed Alonso to rest players, with Dani Ceballos and Eduardo Camavinga coming on for Aurélien Tchouaméni and Arda Guler.
The game slowed down significantly in the early stages of the second half, with Real Madrid’s urgency not as strong as in the first 45 minutes. Mbappe was not slowing down as he scored for his hat-trick, stinging the gloves of the Valencia goalkeeper with a snap shot.
The home team wasn’t done, and they saved the best goal for the end. Left-back Álvaro Carreras rifled in a shot into the top corner in the 81st minute. The Spaniard hit the shot from an angle and just inside the box, a great way to open his account for the club.
Real Madrid take their sparkling form into a huge Champions League clash on 4 November. Alonso will face his old club as a player when Los Blancos take on Liverpool at Anfield.
Salah, Gravenberch Secure Liverpool Confidence Win Vs Aston Villa
Crisis club Liverpool find themselves level on points with second-placed Bournemouth after picking up their first Premier League points since 20 September. Their recovery appears simple in that context and, thanks in no small part to the Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, it was the balm that Arne Slot wished for after the worst run of his Anfield reign. He knows it must be only a starting point.
Liverpool were deserving victors in the league for the first time since beating Everton in the Merseyside derby, as Villa proved the perfect guests. A terrible mistake by Martínez presented Mohamed Salah with his 250th Liverpool goal before more poor Villa defending enabled Ryan Gravenberch to double the hosts’ advantage early in the second half. Slot’s name reverberated from the Kop as Liverpool banished the anxiety of six defeats in the previous seven games. It was also sung in the 24th minute with the game goalless and delicately balanced. The support was there for Liverpool’s head coach long before the victory.
Slot reverted as close as he could to last season’s title-winning team with Andy Robertson replacing the struggling Milos Kerkez and Gravenberch partnering Alexis Mac Allister in midfield having recovered from an ankle injury. The potential £116m signing Florian Wirtz was again on the bench against dangerous Premier League opponents.
One incontrovertible factor in Liverpool’s dramatic slump has been their habit of conceding first and having to then take more risks chasing the game. It almost happened for an eighth game in succession when Morgan Rogers split the home defence with a superb ball into Ollie Watkins. The Villa striker returned possession to his England colleague and he stepped across Conor Bradley to curl a shot from the edge of the area towards the far corner. Giorgi Mamardashvili was well beaten in the Liverpool goal but Rogers’ effort struck the far post and rebounded clear.
It was a reprieve that Slot’s side desperately needed with only five minutes on the clock and confidence understandably low. It was also the cue for a highly entertaining, flowing contest. Both teams threatened repeatedly. Liverpool performed with far more aggression and urgency than of late, with Dominik Szoboszlai a marauding presence once again and Salah looking much sharper as he tormented Lucas Digne. Villa looked dangerous every time they broke the Liverpool press. They took some almighty risks to do so, however, and were close to handing the champions the breakthrough twice before Martínez landed the visitors in it in first-half stoppage time.
The Villa goalkeeper erred earlier in the game when dragging a poor clearance straight to Robertson. He escaped on that occasion when the recalled left-back’s shot looped off Pau Torres and landed in his arms. Next up with a gift was Boubacar Kamara, who put Torres in trouble with a needless return pass that Szoboszlai intercepted with ease. The Liverpool midfielder found himself with only Martínez to beat but stroked a tame shot straight at him. It was a rare blemish on the Hungary captain’s night.
Villa struck the woodwork a second time when Matty Cash advanced from right-back and made an ambitious attempt for Mamardashvili’s top corner. His shot took a slight deflection off the thigh of Virgil van Dijk before the Georgia international superbly tipped it on to the bar. The home keeper also saved from Rogers when Villa’s patient approach again found space behind the Liverpool midfield.
Hugo Ekitiké had been anonymous at the head of Liverpool’s attack but, like all good strikers, made his first meaningful contribution count when heading Szoboszlai’s beautiful cross inside Martínez’s bottom corner. Liverpool celebrations, and attached sense of relief, were cut short, however, when the video assistant referee disallowed the header for a clear offside against the Frenchman. Liverpool celebrations, and attached sense of relief, flooded back thanks to Martínez moments later.
The World Cup winner was far too casual and careless when attempting to play a simple pass back to Torres inside the Villa area. A quite dreadful ball went straight to Salah instead. The much-scrutinised striker made light work of his second goal in two games, sliding the ball around Torres and into an unguarded Villa net. The reward for Salah’s improved display was his 250th goal in a Liverpool shirt.
To Unai Emery’s despair and Slot’s unbridled joy, the Villa defence were not done with dangerous over-elaboration and presenting Liverpool with opportunity. Just before the hour Martínez squared another risky pass to Torres who, under pressure, swiped a clearance towards Van Dijk. Liverpool worked the ball to Gravenberch in space and the influential midfielder let fly from 20 yards with a shot that took a touch off both Ezri Konsa and Torres before beating the wrongfooted Villa keeper.
Slot’s reaction, indeed the reaction of the Liverpool team and support, encapsulated the release of pressure. Now on to Real Madrid and Manchester City.
Results From Domestic Leagues Across Europe:
ENGLAND: Premier League
Brighton – Leeds 3:0
Burnley – Arsenal 0:2
Crystal Palace – Brentford 2:0
Fulham – Wolves 3:0
Nottingham – Manchester Utd 2:2
Tottenham – Chelsea 0:1
Liverpool – Aston Villa 2:0
FRANCE: Ligue 1
PSG – Nice 1:0
Monaco – Paris FC 0:1
Auxerre – Marseille 0:1
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Heidenheim – Eintracht Frankfurt 1:1
Mainz – Werder Bremen 1:1
RB Leipzig – Stuttgart 3:1
St. Pauli – B. Monchengladbach 0:4
Union Berlin – Freiburg 0:0
Bayern Munich – Bayer Leverkusen 3:0
ITALY: Serie A
Udinese – Atalanta 1:0
Napoli – Como 0:0
Cremonese – Juventus 1:2
NETHERLANDS: Eredivisie
Ajax – Heerenveen 1:1
NAC Breda – G.A. Eagles 1:0
Feyenoord – FC Volendam 3:1
Telstar – Excelsior 2:2
SPAIN: LaLiga
Villarreal – Rayo Vallecano 4:0
Atl. Madrid – Sevilla 3:0
Real Sociedad – Ath Bilbao 3:2
Real Madrid – Valencia 4:0.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Thanks for your patience…Salah seems to say as he waves to Liverpool fans on Saturday.
