Bellingham won late but Vinicius Jr. kicked out

Real Madrid produced a remarkable late turnaround to secure a 2-1 win over Valencia with Jude Bellingham scoring the winner.

Despite going down to 10 men after Vinicius Junior’s red card, Madrid’s persistence paid off as they overturned a first-half deficit in dramatic fashion.

Valencia started the game brilliantly, taking the lead in the 27th minute.

Thierry Correia found space on the right and squared the ball to Javi Guerra, whose initial shot was saved by Thibaut Courtois.

Hugo Duro reacted quicker to grab the rebound, giving the home side a deserved 1-0 lead.

Carlo Ancelotti’s Madrid struggled to gain an early lead, with Valencia more dangerous at the break.

The visitors had their best chance of the half when Federico Valverde fired a powerful shot straight at Valencia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski.

🏁 @valenciacf_en 1-2 @realmadriden
⚽ 27′ Hugo Duro
⚽ 85′ @lukamodric10
⚽ 90’+5′ @BellinghamJude#ValenciaRealMadrid | @Emirates pic.twitter.com/rOkM4NtxKq

— Real Madrid CF 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) January 3, 2025

Despite dominating possession, Madrid lacked sharpness in the final third and went into the break trailing.

The Whites came out with more intent in the second half, but their frustrations grew as the chances came.

A penalty awarded in the 53rd minute offered a lifeline when Kylian Mbappe was brought down in the box. However, Bellingham’s penalty hit the post, leaving Valencia unstuck.

Madrid’s task became even more difficult in the 79th minute when Vinicius Jr. he was sent off after a VAR review.

The Brazilian clashed with Dimitrievski, shoving the goalkeeper in the face after a heated exchange. Reduced to 10 men, Madrid seemed to run out of time and ideas.

Despite being a man down, Madrid found the equalizer in the 85th minute. Jude Bellingham, instrumental throughout the game, threaded a perfectly weighted ball past Luka Modric.

The Croatian substitute burst into the area and chipped the ball past Dimitrievski to make it 1-1.

The goal revitalized Madrid, and Valencia, who had sat for much of the second half, found themselves under immense pressure in the closing minutes.

Just as the game seemed destined for a tie, Bellingham took advantage of a defensive error five minutes into added time.

Hugo Guillamon’s back pass left Dimitrievski stranded and Bellingham ran onto the ball before calmly curling it into the bottom corner.

Mestalla fell silent as the teenager celebrated what turned out to be the winning goal.