Real Madrid lost the chance to consolidate their lead at the top of La Liga as a result of an away 2-1 loss to Valencia at the Mestalla. The visitors were rocked by two goals in the first 10 minutes by Valencia and that set the course for the remainder of the encounter.
Cristiano Ronaldo pulled one back for Madrid on the cusp of half-time but could not prevent his side from dropping three points. Simone Zaza scored a delightful volley whereas Fabian Orellana doubled Valencia's advantage.
Let's take a look at the five talking points from a night to forget for Real Madrid in their defeat against Valencia:
#1 Los Blancos showing first signs of fatigue
This was Real Madrid's 12th game in 2017 with this fixture being squeezed in the schedule as a result of Madrid's involvement in the Club World Cup. Zinedine Zidane's men are set to play seven more games before the first international break of this year in March.
The fatigue levels were on show for the first time as despite making changes in the starting lineup, Real fell prey to a slow start and could not recover from it.
Last night was Real Madrid's toughest challenge in their title aspirations after they were 2-0 down against a side that is placed in the bottom half of the table. If Real do qualify for the semi-finals of the Champions League, they will have a midweek game in each week until the month of May which will make matters worse for the manager and the players.
The league is Real Madrid's to lose and the result against Valencia will play a huge role in deciding the champions in May.
#2 Simone Zaza answers his critics in fine fashion
The Italian had a spell to forget at West Ham United and a move to the Mestalla was seen by many as the last chance at a big club for the striker. His last goal had come in May before he scored in consecutive matches for Valencia.
His first came in the last game against Athletic Bilbao, and the second against Real Madrid, which was a thing of beauty by the Italian. He gathered the ball on his left, swivelled and shot the ball with his right in the top left corner with a sensational volley to give his side a lead in the fifth minute.
Zaza's drought was a run of 15 games but after two match winning performances, his career seems to be finally getting back on track after he was subject of much ridicule on social media for his run-up to his missed penalty in the Euros 2016.
#3 James Rodriguez fails to make the most of his chance
The Colombian was in the starting lineup in a surprising move by Zidane as the starts that James has been given has been few and far between this season. He was slotted in a midfield three but failed to capitalise on the given chance as he did not adjust to the demands of the game.
He was absent for major portions of the match as he could not dictate the game from a deeper position – the role assigned to him by the manager.
Against opponents like Valencia, Rodriguez must prove his class and help his side cross the finish line. The 25-year-old needs to have more influence on games if he is to find a place in the team, which is made doubly hard with the return of Welshman Gareth Bale.
#4 Valencia versus Real Madrid always guarantees goals and entertainment
Despite Valencia struggling to get out of the bottom half of the table, this fixture was still touted to be a banana skin in Real Madrid's bid for a league title. And Los Blancos faltered yet again and have now gone three league games without a win at the Mestalla.
The match between these sides has always been a goal fest with the last 10 games accounting for 37 goals.
Valencia have scored at least two goals in their last seven meetings with Real Madrid. This game's importance was evident by a full house for a 6:45 local time kick off on a working day despite the fact that Valencia is a club of the working class.
#5 Title race heats up
Real Madrid's two away trips to Valencia and Villarreal were always considered as the fixtures where Zidane's men would find it tough to maintain their lead. Madrid have just a point's lead over FC Barcelona, but have a game in hand. That game is not an easy one, though, as they face an even more difficult away trip to face the in-form Celta Vigo.
This weekend's fixtures could see three different leaders on the league table as Barcelona visit Atletico Madrid on Sunday whereas Sevilla can go top with a win over Real Betis, in the Seville derby on Saturday.
This edition of the La Liga will surely go down to the last day of the campaign with three teams still in the hunt for the top spot with Atletico Madrid lurking just behind them.
