Luka Modric and Jude Bellingham delivered crucial goals on Friday to save Real Madrid at Mestalla, overcoming Valencia's early lead through Hugo Duro. The visitors mounted a comeback in a match postponed due to the DANA, regaining the top spot in LaLiga EA Sports despite a missed penalty by Bellingham, a disallowed goal by Kylian Mbappé, and a red card shown to Vinícius Jr. that left Madrid with ten men.

The first match of 2025 came with high stakes at Mestalla. A clash between Valencia and Real Madrid is never quiet, but Friday's encounter was particularly eventful. Before kick-off, Valencia honored Real Madrid for their invaluable help during the DANA disaster, while outside the stadium, fans protested against majority shareholder Peter Lim.

Inside, José Gayà presented a commemorative print to Lucas Vázquez featuring an image of the ‘senyera’ donated by Real Madrid, which had previously adorned Mestalla. However, between 2,000 and 5,000 Valencia fans remained outside until the 19th minute to voice their discontent with the club's management.

First half: Valencia strikes first

Valencia's new coach, Carlos Corberán, debuted with a three-center-back formation against a Real Madrid side that welcomed back Vinícius Jr. from suspension. The stakes were clear: Valencia needed points to escape the relegation zone, while Real Madrid aimed to claim sole leadership of LaLiga.

The visitors started strong, with Fede Valverde firing a powerful shot just six minutes in, but Dimitrievski managed to parry it. Despite their precarious situation, Valencia quickly responded with a dangerous chance from Hugo Duro, which was saved brilliantly by Thibaut Courtois.

Valencia capitalized on their momentum in the 27th minute when Courtois stopped a shot from Javi Guerra, but the rebound fell to Hugo Duro, who slotted it home. Mestalla erupted, and Dimitrievski ensured the hosts kept their lead with a series of key saves, including a one-on-one with Vinícius.

Second half: Drama unfolds and Madrid prevails

The second half saw a chaotic series of events. In the 53rd minute, Mbappé earned a penalty after being brought down by Tárrega, but Bellingham struck the post, sending Mestalla into a frenzy. Shortly after, Mbappé thought he had equalized, only for his goal to be disallowed for offside.

The game turned more intense in the 76th minute when Vinícius was sent off after a VAR review showed him lashing out at Dimitrievski following an altercation. With Madrid down to ten men, Mestalla roared louder than ever, chanting “beach ball, Vinícius,” but the drama was far from over.

Despite being a man down, Luka Modric came off the bench and equalized in the 81st minute with a clever finish beneath Dimitrievski. As the game entered injury time, Soto Grado added nine minutes, during which Madrid capitalized on a defensive error. Guillamón’s misplaced pass allowed Bellingham to pounce and score the winner.

In the dying moments, Luis Rioja hit the crossbar, nearly salvaging a point for Valencia, but Madrid held on to claim a crucial victory.