Madrid stumble, Vallecano stalls the title chase: a goalless Saint-Malematch

Match Summary

Real Madrid were held to a goalless draw away to Ray Vallecano in La Liga's twelfth round. Madrid stay atop the table with 31 points, while Vallecano sit on 15, keeping the title race tight but not decided. The visitors carved out several chances, yet could not convert, and Vallecano defended doggedly on a night when the goalkeepers stole the show in several moments.

Key Moments

The action began at a brisk pace. In the 3rd minute Arda Guler let fly from the edge of the box with his left foot, but Vallecano's keeper produced a sharp save to deny an early breakthrough. Moments later a quick counter from De Frutos faded as Asensio intercepted the ball just in time.

In the 5th minute Unai López whipped a free kick to the near post; the ball struck the wall and fell to a Vallecano forward whose follow-up shot crept over the bar in the 6th. Madrid continued to press as Vinícius Jr. shimmered on both wings, yet the last pass or finish never arrived.

Between the 7th and 9th minutes Vallecano blocked several dangerous runs and kept Madrid at bay. A 13th-minute cross was cleared just as it threatened to become a real chance, and the first-half period ended with the visitors on top in tempo but level on the scoreline.

From a corner in the 16th, Arda delivered into a crowded box but Vallecano cleared. A late first-half moment required Courtois to stay focused as an opponent's ball fizzed across the box and fizzled out.

After the break, Arda again demanded a decision in the 46th minute as he was clipped in the area; the referee waved play on. De Frutos threatened in the 50th minute with a shot from inside the box that Courtois turned aside, and a follow-up from Guler tested the goalkeeper again in the 51st.

Madrid kept pushing with Vinícius and others probing; a glanced header and a couple of long-range efforts went just wide as the clock ticked down. Vallecano's counter-attacks remained a persistent threat, though the Madrid rearguard held firm.

With the scoreboard unchanged, both sides intensified late on in search of a winner, but the final whistle confirmed a 0-0 stalemate—Madrid's lead intact but the distance to their rivals unchanged. Humour broke out in the stands as the players searched for the breakthrough, and the keeper's gloves got a well-deserved hug from the referee’s whistle.

Punchlines: If patience is a sport, Madrid just set a personal best. And if goals are shy, they clearly filed a complaint with the goalkeeper union.