Vinicius Junior had a first-half penalty saved and Hugo Duro scored a shock 95th-minute winner as Real Madrid’s hopes of winning La Liga were dealt a potentially fatal blow with a 2-1 loss to Valencia at the Santiago Bernabeu. If Barcelona beat Real Betis in the late game on Saturday, the Catalans will have a six-point lead with just eight games remaining.
Vinicius’s penalty, after Kylian Mbappe had been fouled, was easily saved by Giorgi Mamardashvili, the giant Georgian goalkeeper who will leave for Liverpool at the end of the season. To add insult to injury, Valencia then scored with their first shot on target, as Mouctar Diakhaby headed past Fran Gonzalez in the Real goal. Gonzalez, just 19, was playing because of injuries to both Thibaut Courtois and Andriy Lunin.
🦇 ¡Detuvo el penalti Giorgi Mamardashvili!#LALIGAHighlights | #LALIGAEASPORTS | #DesenlaceLALIGA pic.twitter.com/x5EbLeLRZi
— LALIGA (@LaLiga) April 5, 2025
After this loss, Real Madrid must now turn their attention to the UEFA Champions League
Vinicius made amends in the 50th minute with a lashed close-range finish after a header from Jude Bellingham, but Valencia, who hadn’t won away to Real since 2008, defended stoutly as the hosts piled on the pressure. They also found a late sting, with Duro heading home a Rafa Mir cross.
Antonio Rudiger could have salvaged a point in the dying seconds, but Mamardashvili produced a stunning save to tilt the title race firmly in Barcelona’s direction. Real must now turn their attention to the UEFA Champions League, and a quarterfinal first-leg clash against Arsenal at the Emirates on Tuesday night.
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