Real Madrid’s La Liga title hopes took a major blow as Hugo Duro’s stoppage-time header handed Valencia a dramatic 2-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabéu.
With the clock ticking into the 95th minute, Rafa Mir delivered a pinpoint cross that Duro headed past Madrid goalkeeper Fran Gonzalez to secure a memorable win for the visitors.
Valencia had taken the lead in the 15th minute when Mouctar Diakhaby rose above the defence to nod home André Almeida’s cross. Madrid, despite dominating possession, struggled to break through until after the break.
Vinícius Júnior atoned for his earlier penalty miss, sending a powerful shot into the top corner in the 50th minute to level the scores. Madrid had missed a golden opportunity minutes earlier when goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili saved Vinícius’s penalty after Kylian Mbappé was fouled in the box.
Despite pushing for a winner, Madrid were caught out in the dying seconds as Duro’s header stunned the home crowd. The defeat leaves Los Blancos three points behind leaders Barcelona, who play later on Saturday.
For Madrid, it was another frustrating day, with their penalty woes continuing — they’ve missed five this season, their most in a single campaign since 2013-14. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Fran Gonzalez became the youngest goalkeeper to make a La Liga debut for Madrid since Iker Casillas in 1999, stepping in due to injuries to Thibaut Courtois and Andriy Lunin.
For Valencia, the win was historic, marking their first victory at the Bernabéu since 2008. They will now look to build on this triumph as they aim to climb further up the table.
Madrid now face a tough challenge ahead with their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Arsenal on Tuesday.
