Real Madrid maintained their perfect La Liga start to 2026 with a narrow but effective victory over Valencia at Mestalla, keeping the pressure on leaders Barcelona.
With Vinícius Júnior suspended and Rodrygo Goes sidelined through injury, head coach Álvaro Arbeloa opted for a pragmatic 4-4-2 setup.
Kylian Mbappé partnered Gonzalo García in attack, but Madrid struggled for fluency in a first half that produced little attacking quality from either side.
Carreras breaks the deadlock
Clear chances were scarce, although debutant right-back David Jiménez came closest to breaking the deadlock before the interval, forcing Valencia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski into a sharp save with a low effort from the edge of the area.
The breakthrough finally arrived on 65 minutes through a moment of individual brilliance. Álvaro Carreras drove past two Valencia defenders before squeezing a composed finish inside the near post, lifting the belief of the away side in an otherwise flat contest.
Mbappé seals it late
Valencia threatened an immediate response when Lucas Beltrán’s strike drifted narrowly wide, but that proved to be their best opportunity.
Madrid then sealed the result deep into stoppage time, as Brahim Díaz released Mbappé, who calmly finished to make it 2-0.
Results matter more than performance
It was far from a vintage display, but efficiency was enough. The win moves Real Madrid back to within one point of Barcelona at the summit and keeps them firmly in the title race, with a chance to briefly go top should they overcome an in-form Real Sociedad next weekend.