PEEP! PEEP! PEEEEEEP! THAT IS THAT, VALENCIA 1-4 REAL MADRID
Los Blancos played one of their best matches this season, as they dismantled a very impressive Valencia outfit with a display of superbly clinical finishing.
'Twas a fantastic match, and an absolute pleasure to cover. Thank you for the company! Anirudh Menon signing out...
Absolutely lovely, lovely, goal that. After more excellent work down the left from Marcelo and Asensio, Kroos plays a superb one-two with Kovacic and passes it into the far corner in that inimitable style of his
85' Kroos eases Parejo off the ball, looked a fair shoulder charge, but the ref calls it a foul. Zaza then bursts into the box, but the linesman spots a handball and that's that. Great call from the man with the flag, there.
Marcelo and Asensio play a delightful one-two, the Brazilian then romps into the box and smashes a low, hard drive through Neto and into the near corner of the net.
82' OOOO MY! Luka Modric and Carvajal run rings around Gaya before the former plays a lovely ball into the box; Ronaldo looks like he's scored with his first-time half-volley, but Garay throws himself at it.
81' UFF! Marcelo drives down the left flank, cuts in, and lifts a teasing ball into the box where Garay is on his toes to make sure Ronaldo doesn't get to it.
77' Nacho wins a freekick off Montoya inside his own half; and Marcelino takes this stoppage to bring on Andreas Perreira for Toni Lato; and Zidane withdraws a tired-looking Benzema for Marco Asensio
74' OOO LA LA BENZEMA! The much-maligned Frenchman sashays past Garay with an exquisite piece of ball control, and the ball runs out off the Argentine; but the linesman flags it out as a goalkick
73' OH OH OH! Kondogbia leads a superb Valencia counter - he picks out Gaya, who in turn swings it to Soler; but the young man cant control the chest high ball with his feet, inside the box, under pressure from Nacho
71' Yellow for Carvajal as he brings down Gaya at the edge of the box. No complaints from the Spaniard. Parejo's delivery into the box isn't the best, though, and it doesn't clear the first man
68' OOOO LA LA! WHAT A MOVE! Modric stabs a superb ball to Bale, and the Welshman storms past Lato like the young man isn't there. He cuts into the box and squares it to Ronaldo, whose shot is blocked excellently by Montoya
66' WHAT A SAVE NAVAS! THAT IS IMMENSE! Valencia take the freekick quickly and Parejo plays it to Soler who smacks a superb shot at goal - Navas going one way, extends his leg the other way to stop the ball. Great, great reactions
62' Carlos Soler does brilliantly to rip past Marcelo and whip in an early cross that Gaya gets to andd he tries to hit it on the volley- on his right foot, that's too hard a skill for the left full-back
61' Real Madrid look to respond immediately with a corner of their own... Kroos' delivery is a good one, and it bounces around the box before Bale slams an awkward looking shot well high of Neto's crossbar.
OOOO, just as I say that! Valencia win a corner thanks to some bold play from Montoya. Parejo swings a delightful ball into the box, and Santi Mina ghosts in front of Nacho and smashes a header into the net! WOOF! Game on!
56' Another penalty call - this time at the Real Madrid end - as Soler goes down under pressure from Carvajal; but once again the ref gets his decision right
51' Ohhhhh, that explains it. Guedes was seen stretching his hamstring after that last minute shot in the first half; possibly a precautionary measure this then.
Absolutely smashing first forty-five as Valencia and Real Madrid stand toe-to-toe, slugging away; but a couple of lapses at the back have mean Real Madrid have a two-goal lead in this all-important clash. This could just be the beginning of the turnaround
46' OOOOO! The last action of the first half sees Guedes float across the box and lash a shot just across the face off Navas' goal. Should be a corner, but the ref wants his break...
44' OH RODRIGO, OH RODRIGO, OH RODRIGO. Santi Mina skips past Modric like he isn;t there, ghosts into the box, and lifts the perfect ball back into the six yard box where his partner, with an open goal gaping six yards in front of him, cushions a volley into Row Z
42' OH MY DAYS! THAT LOOKED A PENALTY! Montoya skims into the box, lays it into the box and Dani Parejo flops down with Casemiro near him. Slo-mo replays show that was as clean a dive as any you've ever seen. Great refereeing, the temptation to appease this angry, angry, Mestalla must have been something else.
40' OW! Ronaldo sells Montoya down the river, steps-over a couple of times before Parejo cleans him up just outside the box. Inexplicably the ref waves play on. More explicably there's steam coming out of Ronaldo's ears
37' Modric sweeps a ball out to Marcelo who kills it dead with a velvet soft touch, his cross is cleared but its send back to Caravajal on the other flank by Kroos. The Spaniard curls one into the box....
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