Real Madrid draw level with Barcelona after 3-0 win at Mestalla

Real Madrid drew level with Barcelona in the LaLiga standings after a 3-0 victory over Valencia at Mestalla on Saturday, November 7, moving onto 30 points in the title race.

Barcelona remain top on goal difference and have a game in hand; they face Atletico Madrid on Sunday, November 8, while Atletico sit third on 28 points and could overtake both with a win. Real have strung together eight consecutive victories across competitions, building on an El Clasico win at the Camp Nou two weeks ago.

Real took control midway through the first half when Federico Valverde opened the scoring in the 28th minute, reacting to a rebound after Kylian Mbappe's free-kick was deflected by the Valencia defence and converting with a powerful strike from outside the box into the bottom corner. Eight minutes later Jude Bellingham's delivery from the right found Arda Guler inside the penalty area and the Turkish midfielder finished first-time from close range to double the lead before half-time.

With Vinicius Jr serving the final match of his four-game suspension, Jose Mourinho deployed Yan Diomande alongside Mbappe in attack; Guler, Bellingham and Bernardo Silva occupied the attacking midfield positions while captain Valverde continued at right-back.

Real added a third in the 75th minute when Guler supplied a pass inside the box to Mbappe, who rounded the advancing goalkeeper and calmly tapped the ball into an empty net. Five minutes later Valencia captain Jose Gaya was sent off for a foul on Mbappe as the French forward was breaking towards goal, reducing the hosts to 10 men for the closing stages.

Valencia's defeat leaves them second-bottom in the LaLiga table with nine points from 12 matches; they have registered only two league victories this season and remain without a home win.

Real will head into the international break buoyed by an eighth consecutive victory, a run that has drawn them level with Barcelona and set greater significance on Sunday’s meeting between the Catalans and Atletico Madrid.