Madrid’s Surgical Masterclass: Mbappé Puts Valencia to the Sword in a 4-0 La Liga Thrill

Match highlights

French superstar Kylian Mbappé steered Real Madrid to a decisive 4-0 victory over Valencia in La Liga, at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday night.

Madrid’s opener came when Mbappé converted a penalty in the 19th minute after a VAR-review that confirmed a handball inside the box. The French forward then doubled his tally later in the first half as Madrid surged ahead, with a composed finish into the bottom left corner.

In the 31st minute, Mbappé struck again, capitalizing on a precise assist from a teammate to fire Madrid into a commanding lead. The third goal arrived just before the break with Jude Bellingham finding the net from outside the box, sending the home crowd into a roar as the half closed with Madrid leading 3-0.

Madrid were awarded a second penalty in the 41st minute after a foul in the box, but Vinícius Júnior’s spot-kick was brilliantly saved by the Valencia goalkeeper, Aguirrezabal, preserving a glimmer of hope for the visitors at the break. The second period saw Álvaro Carreras add a stylish fourth in the 82nd minute, rifling a shot into the top corner to seal the rout.

The result lifts Real Madrid to 30 points and keeps them atop La Liga, while Valencia remain at 9 points and sit perilously close to the relegation zone in 18th place.

Madrid’s evening also carried personal accolades for Mbappé, who arrived with the European Golden Boot award on display after his recent triumph, drawing warm applause from the Bernabéu faithful before kick-off. A team photo afterwards showed Mbappé with teammates, the boot gleaming under the stadium lights.

From the opening whistle, Madrid pressed high and dictated the tempo. Early chances came through Mbappé and Vinícius, with the latter’s strike saved in the 9th minute after a darting run into the box. Valencia threatened only sporadically, as the Madrid defense held firm and Ole-fenced their lead with disciplined pressing and smart composure on the ball.

In the second half, Madrid’s hold remained unchallenged, and the crowd’s mood stayed upbeat as substitutions and cooldowns replaced some faster tempo play. Carreras’ late strike ensured the final margin reflected Madrid’s dominance on the night.

Bottom line: Madrid looked the sharper side in all departments—attack, creation, and finishing—while Valencia must regroup quickly as the season heads toward its crucial stretch. And as for the trophies and boot talk, the trophy cabinet seems to have an increasing number of chapters to fill.

Punchline 1: If precision had a sniper, Madrid’s finishing would be filing a very long inbox with goals—range, aim, impact, closure. Punchline 2: Valencia left the Bernabéu with a map, a plan, and a prayer—the plan was to defend, the map was to avoid the scoreboard, and the prayer was that the bus home had decent Wi-Fi for the ride back."