Real Madrid Stars Shine Bright Against Valencia Before Crucial Anfield Showdown

Real Madrid secured a commanding 4–0 triumph against Valencia on Saturday night, maintaining their perfect run of six consecutive victories across all tournaments.

Kylian Mbappé kicked off the evening by showcasing his Golden Boot trophy to the supporters at the Santiago Bernabéu, foreshadowing the spectacle ahead. The French striker netted twice and could have claimed a hat-trick if Vinícius Júnior hadn't taken over penalty duties in the opening period, only to squander the opportunity.

Jude Bellingham and Álvaro Carreras also found the scoresheet to help Real Madrid claim a comprehensive three-point haul. This result places Carlo Ancelotti's squad eight points ahead of Barcelona, who are yet to feature this weekend, at the summit of La Liga.

Los Blancos will now shift focus to their upcoming journey to Anfield, where they'll encounter reigning Premier League champions Liverpool in a crucial Champions League encounter on Tuesday evening.

Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Valencia (4-3-3)

*Ratings Supplied by FotMob*

GK: Thibaut Courtois—7.4: Required just one save during what became his fourth shutout in six appearances.

RB: Federico Valverde—8.9: Produced his finest display of the campaign. Valverde's assist merely scratches the surface of his excellence, controlling both the right wing and central areas where he frequently roamed.

CB: Éder Militão—7.6: Made greater contributions during set-piece situations than defensive duties demanded.

CB: Dean Huijsen—7.3: Minimal defensive work was required from the Spanish defender, allowing him to rest during the match's final 20 minutes, an uncommon luxury.

LB: Álvaro Carreras—9.2: Justified every euro of the €50 million ($58.4 million) Real Madrid invested this summer. Carreras registered the most passes, won the most challenges, made the most tackles, and scored the evening's finest goal.

CM: Arda Güler—7.8: Recovered brilliantly from a disappointing Clásico showing. Güler's capacity to deliver exceptional service to Mbappé establishes him as a crucial figure for Los Blancos.

CM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—6.8: Managed only a booking and 32 touches before his halftime substitution.

CM: Jude Bellingham—8.5: Irrepressible across all facets. Bellingham attacked the penalty area effortlessly, consistently regained possession, and scored his third goal in consecutive matches.

RW: Franco Mastantuono—6.9: Struggled to influence proceedings on an evening when Real Madrid's offensive play favored the left flank.

ST: Kylian Mbappé—9.1: Simply exceptional. Mbappé stands as not only the most lethal finisher in Madrid's colors, but arguably across Spain and potentially Europe.

LW: Vinícius Júnior—7.1: Effectively created scoring chances for colleagues, but disappointed when his moment arrived from the penalty spot.

Unused substitutes: Fran González (GK), Sergio Mestre (GK), Ferland Mendy, Fran García, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Brahim Díaz, Gonzalo García.

Valencia (4-4-2)

Starting XI: Julen Agirrezabala; Thierry Correia, César Tárrega, José Copete, José Gayà; Luis Rioja, Baptiste Santamaria, Pepelu, Diego López; Lucas Beltrán, Arnaut Danjuma.

Substitutes used: André Almeida, Hugo Duro, Jesús Vázquez, Eray Cömert, Javi Guerra.

Player of the Match: Álvaro Carreras (Real Madrid)

Real Madrid 4–0 Valencia—Match Events at the Santiago Bernabéu

The gulf in quality between Real Madrid and Valencia became evident from the opening whistle on Saturday night. The home side bombarded goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala with attempts, who valiantly resisted the relentless assault until his defense crumbled.

A standard corner kick for Los Blancos quickly descended into pandemonium. Both Bellingham and Mbappé were fouled at the far post while César Tárrega handled the ball in the same incident. An extended VAR examination ultimately led to referee Mateo Busquets awarding a penalty.

Mbappé confidently converted his 17th strike of the campaign to give Real Madrid a 1–0 advantage in the 19th minute. The composed spot-kick served as redemption following the Frenchman's saved penalty attempt in El Clásico.

The momentum remained firmly with Los Blancos, making another goal inevitable rather than uncertain. As witnessed repeatedly this season, Güler located Mbappé with a perfectly weighted delivery that the striker volleyed home to extend the lead just after the half-hour mark.

Kylian Mbappé with a brace already in the first half 👏 pic.twitter.com/u0q0oX6VNn

Real Madrid quickly earned another penalty opportunity after Carreras secured the hosts' second spot-kick of the evening. Rather than allowing Mbappé to complete his hat-trick, Vinícius Júnior assumed responsibility and missed the conversion.

Neither the team nor the capacity crowd at the Santiago Bernabéu had time to lament the miss, as Bellingham unleashed a spectacular effort from beyond the penalty area to establish a 3–0 halftime advantage for Real Madrid.

Jude Bellingham nets one from outside the 18-yard box.

Real Madrid lead 3-0 😅 pic.twitter.com/HnRRDp8Ohy

The second period featured less scoring than the first, though not from lack of Real Madrid's persistence. The Spanish powerhouse completely overwhelmed the visitors with constant pressure, but the finishing touch eluded the stars in white until Carreras produced a moment of brilliance in the 82nd minute.

The left-back scored his maiden Real Madrid goal in spectacular style. Carreras curled a magnificent strike into the net's top corner that even the world's finest goalkeeper couldn't have prevented, completing the 4–0 victory for Los Blancos.

Real Madrid vs. Valencia Halftime Statistics

Real Madrid vs. Valencia Final Match Statistics