IMAGE: Valencia’s Mouctar Diakhaby scores their first goal. Photograph: Juan Medina/Reuters
Vinicius Jr missed his second penalty in less than a month as LaLiga champions Real Madrid were shocked at home by Valencia 2-1 on Saturday, leaving the door open for rivals Barcelona to extend their lead on top of the LaLiga standings.
With a game in hand, Hansi Flick’s Barca are top on 66 points, three ahead Real in second and nine clear of third-placed Atletico. If Barca win against Betis later on Saturday, they will extend their lead to six points with eight games to go.
Valencia are 15th on 34 points.
Real Madrid dominated possession throughout the game but wasted too many chances, with Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili putting in a brilliant performance between the posts, including blocking Vinicius’ first-half penalty.
After Kylian Mbappe was fouled inside the box in the 12th minute, Brazilian forward Vinicius, who had missed a penalty in Real’s Champions League last-16 clash against Atletico three weeks ago, struck a feeble effort low to the goalkeeper’s left that Mamardashvili pounced on.
In the following play, defender Mouctar Diakhaby opened the scoring for Valencia with a header from an Andre Almeida corner in the 15th minute but almost gifted Real the equaliser when he put the ball into his own net six minutes later.
However, he was rescued by VAR who spotted an offside in the build-up that ruled it out and Mamardashvili made a string of saves to keep Valencia’s lead before the break, with Mbappe denied several attempts.
Vinicius scored the equaliser from a corner in the 50th minute and pushed for the winner in the second half, with the Georgian keeper, on loan at Valencia from Liverpool, continuing to make stunning saves to frustrate Real Madrid.
IMAGE: Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger in action with Valencia’s Giorgi Mamardashvili. Photograph: Juan Medina/Reuters
Valencia held on and took advantage of a quick counter five minutes deep into stoppage time as Hugo Duro’s header secured their first win away from home in LaLiga this season.
“Now (fighting for the LaLiga title) has become more complicated, it’s a result that leaves us with a bitter taste in the mouth,” manager Carlo Ancelotti told reporters.
“I think we played a good game, we created a lot of chances and came very close to scoring goals. It’s frustrating but I don’t think it’s an attitude problem.”
Real will have to recover their confidence quickly as they will travel to London to face Arsenal in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie on Tuesday with a big question-mark between the posts.
With Thibaut Courtois is still nursing a right foot injury sustained in international duty with Belgium last month and his reliable Ukrainian replacement Andriy Lunin sidelined with a leg muscle issue, Ancelotti was forced to start 19-year-old academy goalkeeper Fran Gonzalez on Saturday against Valencia.
The 6-foot, 6-inch giant made a stunning save late in the game to deny a Diakhaby header and could be in line to a massive responsibility if Courtois and Lunin are not available for Tuesday’s Champions League clash.
