Kylian Mbappe scored for the seventh match in a row as Real Madrid cruised to a 3-0 win at Valencia on Saturday, moving level on points with La Liga leaders Barcelona.
Federico Valverde opened the scoring in the 28th minute and Arda Guler doubled the lead in the 36th, before Mbappe added the third in the 75th minute, according to Reuters via GeoSuper and TNT Sports. It was Jose Mourinho’s side’s eighth consecutive win in all competitions.
The result took Madrid level with Barcelona on 30 points, although the reigning champions remain top on goal difference with a game in hand — and they visit Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
Madrid in control at Mestalla
Madrid dominated at the Mestalla from the moment Valverde reacted quickest to a rebound from Mbappe’s free-kick to fire the opener low across goal. Guler soon doubled the lead after Jude Bellingham’s cross was deflected kindly into his path, and the game was effectively over by half-time.
Mbappe’s second-half goal, set up by Guler, was his latest in a scoring run that now stretches to seven matches. The French striker is in the form of his life, and Madrid are thriving on it.
Valencia, reduced to 10 men, never looked like getting back into the game. They remain 19th in the table with just nine points from 12 games, one point from safety, and their season is already looking like a fight for survival.
The title race tightens
Madrid’s win piles the pressure on Barcelona, who must now win at Atletico on Sunday to restore their cushion at the top. Atletico, third on 28 points, can leapfrog both of their rivals with a victory of their own.
Madrid have made it eight wins in a row across all competitions since their El Clasico victory at the Camp Nou on October 25, and they go into the international break with momentum firmly on their side.
What comes next
Madrid host Celta Vigo when the league resumes on November 21, while Valencia travel to Rayo Vallecano. All eyes on Sunday, though, are on the Metropolitano — where Barcelona’s trip to Atletico will decide who leads La Liga into the break.
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