Arda Güler ran the show at Mestalla as Real Madrid swept Valencia aside 3-0 on Saturday night, a win that takes José Mourinho's side level on points with Barcelona at the top of La Liga and stretches their winning run to eight games in all competitions.
With Vinícius Júnior serving the final match of a four-game suspension, Güler was again handed his chance on the right of the attack — and again he took it, scoring the second goal and setting up the third in a performance that underlined why he has become one of the first names on Mourinho's teamsheet.
Valverde and Güler strike before the break
Madrid were in control from the first whistle, and the breakthrough arrived in the 28th minute. Kylian Mbappé's free kick crashed into the Valencia wall, but the rebound fell kindly for captain Federico Valverde on the edge of the box, and the Uruguayan — playing at right-back — drilled a low shot into the bottom corner.
It was Valverde's second goal in as many games, following his long-range winner against AEK Athens in the Champions League in midweek, and it settled any early nerves at a ground Mourinho had warned would be "one of the most difficult games of the season". As 101 Great Goals noted in its report of the game, the strike came after Mbappé's free kick rebounded off the wall — a fortunate break Madrid were quick to punish.
Eight minutes later the lead was doubled. Jude Bellingham drove to the byline and his cut-back was deflected into the path of Güler, who volleyed home first time for his third goal in five matches. Valencia, set up in a deep back five by Javier Aguirre and committing 26 fouls in a bid to disrupt Madrid's rhythm, had no answer.
The first half was briefly halted by a medical emergency in the stands, with players carrying a stretcher across the pitch while the supporter received treatment. Play resumed with Madrid 2-0 ahead, and there was also a heated exchange between the two squads in the tunnel at the interval, according to reports.
Mbappé seals it after the restart
Madrid kept the foot down after the break. Güler and Mbappé both spurned chances to stretch the lead before the Frenchman finally got his goal in the 75th minute, racing onto Güler's perfectly weighted pass, rounding goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski and rolling the ball into an empty net.
It was Mbappé's 13th league goal of the season, moving him to within two of Raphinha at the top of the Pichichi race, and his 17th in all competitions this campaign. TSN's report of the match described it as an eighth straight win in all competitions — a run that has Madrid level with Barcelona at the summit. Valencia's miserable evening was completed when captain José Gayà was sent off in the 79th minute, leaving the hosts to finish with ten men.
The numbers told the story of Madrid's dominance: 68 per cent possession, 19 shots to Valencia's four, and 2.26 expected goals to the hosts' 0.16. Valencia stay 19th on nine points after a seventh league defeat in 12 games, a point from safety.
So what: the title race is now a sprint
This was Madrid's fourth straight league win, and the eighth in a row in all competitions — a run that has turned the title race into a two-horse sprint. Level on points with Barcelona, Mourinho's side now trail the leaders only on goal difference, and the pressure is firmly on the champions to respond when they play next.
The bigger story, though, is Güler. With Vinícius suspended, the Turkish attacker has not just filled in — he has made the attack his own, with three goals in his last five matches and a growing understanding with Mbappé that Valencia simply could not contain. When Vinícius returns, Mourinho has a selection headache of the best kind.
For Valencia, the picture is bleak. Aguirre's side are deep in a relegation fight, and a visit from the champions in this mood was the last thing they needed. Seven defeats in 12 tells its own story: unless something changes quickly, Los Che are heading for a long, grim winter.
Beyond the Final Whistle: This was not a contest, it was a statement. Madrid did not just beat Valencia — they made the Mestalla look like a training session, and they did it with their brightest young star running the game. If Güler keeps playing like this, the debate is no longer whether he starts for Real Madrid. It is who gets dropped to fit him in.
What did you make of Güler's performance — is he now undroppable for Real Madrid? Let us know in the comments.
