Valencia vs Real Madrid, player ratings La Liga: Mourinho’s men win 3-0 to move level with Barcelona

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring his side's third goal. | Photo Credit: AP

Real Madrid cruised to a 3-0 win at ​struggling Valencia in La Liga on Saturday as ⁠Federico Valverde, Arda Guler and Kylian Mbappe scored to move the visitor level with leader Barcelona.

Real has 30 points alongside Barca, which ‌leads on goal difference and has a game in hand. Barcelona visits third-placed Atletico Madrid on ‌Sunday, with the host two points behind and able ‌to ⁠leapfrog both rivals with victory.

It was Real’s eighth ⁠consecutive win, another confident, efficient display building on its El Clasico victory at the Camp Nou two weeks ago.

With Vinicius Jr serving the final ​match of a four-game ‌ban for pulling an opponent’s hair and protesting to the referee, manager Jose Mourinho again deployed Yan Diomande on the left wing alongside Mbappe in attack.

Guler, Jude Bellingham, ‌Bernardo Silva and Aurelien Tchouameni formed the midfield, while ​captain Valverde, a midfielder by trade, continued at right back.

Real’s opening goals underlined its threat from ⁠different areas, with the Uruguayan striking from distance and Guler finding space inside the box.

Valverde broke the deadlock in the ‌28th minute with a fierce half-volley after Mbappe’s shot rebounded off a defender, his low drive flying just inside the left post.

Real doubled its advantage eight minutes later when Bellingham’s deflected cross found Guler unmarked, the Turkey international finishing first time from close range.

Valencia repeatedly resorted to ‌heavy challenges to halt the visitors, but Real added a third in ​the 75th minute.

Guler turned provider, slipping the ball to Mbappe inside the box, where the French ⁠striker rounded the advancing goalkeeper and tapped into the empty net.

Valencia ⁠captain Jose Gaya was sent off five minutes later for a fierce tackle on Mbappe, completing a ‌miserable evening for the host.

Javier Aguirre’s Valencia is second-bottom on nine points, with only two wins in 12 ​league matches and none at home this season.

VAL vs RMA player ratings

Valencia: Dimitrievski – 7.5, Maffeo – 6.1, Pepelu – 5.6, Tárrega – 6.0, De Haas – 5.5, Gayà – 5.4, Guerra – 6.4, Rodríguez – 6.2, Mayol – 5.7, Sadiq – 6.1, Danjuma – 6.0

Substitutes: Rioja – 6.1, Blázquez – 5.7, Martínez – 5.9, Ugrinic – 6.2, Vázquez – NA

Real Madrid: Courtois – 7.7, Konaté – 7.4, Huijsen – 7.7, Cucurella – 8.1, Silva – 7.4, Tchouaméni – 7.4, Valverde – 8.1, Güler – 8.7, Bellingham – 7.8, Diomande – 8.0, Mbappé – 8.3

Substitutes: Camavinga – 6.1, Brahim Díaz – NA, Endrick – NA, Pitarch – NA, Espí – NA