Real Madrid's Dramatic Comeback at Mestalla: Jude's Last-Minute Goal and Vinicius Red Card Spark Controversial Win

Real Madrid's Dramatic Comeback

Real Madrid Leaves Mestalla as Leaders, but the Way There Was Unforeseen

Real Madrid left Mestalla as leaders, just as many had almost predicted. What they didn’t foresee was the way they got there. They suffered after another terrible start, falling behind against a revitalized, competitive Valencia, missed a penalty, had a goal disallowed for a toe, and saw Vinicius sent off following a VAR intervention after Dimitrievski's clash with the Brazilian. The response to all this adversity came from a magician: Jude Bellingham, who overcame his penalty mistake to assist Modric’s equalizer (the oldest goalscorer in Madrid’s history) and then sealed the comeback in the 95th minute. Bellingham is the king.

Mestalla was the stage for an incredible match. After an initial tribute to Real Madrid for their support during the DANA disaster, Valencia proved to be the competitive team they have always been, not the bottom-dweller they’ve been seen as in the league. Corberán’s influence took advantage of Madrid’s sluggish starts, both in the match and in the season. With a versatile formation, Rioja as a false full-back, and Foulquier joining the attack as an interior, Valencia dominated for a solid 30 minutes, a far cry from the recent games under Baraja.

It’s true that Madrid’s first warning came through Lucas, who had a chance following a cross from Valverde, but Dimitrievski’s save set the stage for Courtois’ heroics. He made two saves in one against Hugo Duro, one from point-blank range, and then stopped a one-on-one with Foulquier, who came forward unchallenged. Neither Vinicius, Bellingham, nor anyone else tracked him. And on the third occasion, Courtois couldn’t perform another miracle. Foulquier broke forward again, with Javi Guerra’s shot being blocked by the Belgian, only for Guerra to finish into an empty net. Rodrygo claimed a foul on Yarek in the build-up. It seemed minor to Soto Grado, who had given similar fouls but also missed others.

If Ancelotti had warned his players about their disastrous starts to the year, the message barely got through, especially in terms of their effort. Quality was never in question, but application was. Bellingham showed this when he fought for a ball near the touchline against Barrenechea, then urged his teammates for more fight, more presence, and more of everything. The forwards had been mostly invisible up until then. Vinicius accepted the challenge, getting involved in the game and in trouble. He confronted Tárrega, the center-back put an arm on him, and Vinicius fell in the box. Soto Grado decided it wasn’t a penalty. Fair enough—had he given it, it wouldn’t have been exaggerated. The best chance of the first half came when Vinicius received a brilliant pass from Ceballos and found himself one-on-one, only for Dimitrievski to save with his left foot.

It’s clear that Ancelotti didn’t like what he was seeing, as Brahim and Güler were warming up after 30 minutes. But no changes came, either before halftime or after. And, of course, not much changed on the field. Well, something did. The forwards pressed a bit more, and after a ball recovered by Vinicius, Mbappé burst into the area and went down under Tárrega’s challenge. It was a clear penalty. Vinicius picked up the ball, but Bellingham took the penalty. With a little jump, Jorginho-style, as he had scored earlier this season. He hit the post. Dimitrievski had stepped off his line, but as he hadn’t touched the ball and didn’t influence the miss, the VAR decided not to repeat it.

Madrid squeezed and went forward, with Bellingham at the heart of everything. He received the ball just outside the box, made a perfectly weighted pass for Mbappé, who combined superbly with him to set up a one-two that ended with a shot on goal. Only to be ruled offside by the semi-automatic system. Madrid then settled into Valencia's half, which defended with varying levels of organization. They weren’t under too much pressure, as, aside from Bellingham’s omnipresence, Madrid didn’t create many clear chances. Rodrygo’s header as a false 9 was about it.

Then came the changes, Madrid upped the intensity, and the match cracked open thanks to VAR. Vinicius entered the area, Foulquier blocked him, and after the clearance, Dimitrievski came out to challenge the Brazilian. He made contact, and Vinicius responded with a little shove, which referee Muñiz Ruiz interpreted as an off-the-ball aggression. Do you remember the Mata vs. Muriqi incident, where one was yellow-carded and the other saw red? This time, it was red for the victim and nothing for the instigator. That decision wasn’t very clear in the footage either. Dimitrievski had already been shown a yellow earlier.

It all seemed lost for Madrid. They were behind and down to ten men. Modric entered despite the numerical disadvantage. Class knows no age. He linked up with the best—Bellingham—and they crafted a beautiful goal in tight spaces to equalize. A deserved equalizer. For both the play and the character. Valencia, who had only shown stubborn resistance up until then, began to doubt. Madrid sensed the weakness and went for the kill. They pressed relentlessly until they forced a mistake. Foulquier misplayed a pass back to Guillamón, who got tangled up, and the ball fell to none other than Jude Bellingham. Alone against Dimitrievski, after missing the penalty, he calmly controlled the ball and placed it gently past the keeper, into the bottom corner. 1-2. An incredible victory that almost slipped away in the final second after a brilliant run by Luis Rioja. He beat two defenders, shot with his left foot, and the ball hit the post. All the glory belonged to Bellingham, a monumental player.