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Three talking points ahead of Valencia vs Real Madrid | La Liga MD 23
Real Madrid’s defeat to Benfica in the UEFA Champions League left the team hungry for revenge in their next outing, and they extracted a win over Rayo Vallecano at the Santiago Bernabeu last weekend.
Their performance, however, did not even appear close to that of a team taking revenge for they were dominated by the visitors for a great part of the game and only scored the winner after Rayo Vallecano had a player sent off.
They return back on to the road for their game this weekend, and will face off against Valencia at Mestalla – a fixture that has not been an easy one for them over the years. More importantly, they must do so with several key names unavailable.
Madrid Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Valencia vs Real Madrid.
Three starters down
Real Madrid’s squad list ahead of the game at Mestalla will have three major names missing, and Alvaro Arbeloa has a massive task in ensuring that the team does not face any challenges dealing with their absence.
That, however, is easier said than done when one considers how all three players are worthy starters in their own right.
Jude Bellingham misses the game after suffering a hamstring blow that has sidelined him for a month and will be unavailable in midfield. Vinicius Jr., who does not have good memories at Mestalla in recent years, also misses the game through suspension.
The player best poised to replace him was Rodrygo Goes and the Brazilian also suffered a setback in training this week and will not travel with the squad.
One will expect Arbeloa to start Arda Guler in Bellingham’s place, but it remains to be seen how the team adapts to the Englishman not being on the field.
In attack, the problems compound given that two big names are unavailable, and it remains to be seen how the manager lines his troops. Kylian Mbappe will start, and may have to shoulder most of the responsibility alone.
Welcome back Trent
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s start to life in the Spanish capital has been anything but memorable so far, especially when one considers how injuries have simply refused to hand him any kind of continuity.
His most recent setback came at the beginning of December when he went down injured against Athletic Club in La Liga, and he has not travelled with the squad ever since.
Considering that Dani Carvajal was injured too, Real Madrid played a month with no natural right-back.
The new signing is expected to return to the squad for the first time for the game at Mestalla, and several reports suggest that he will not just feature but even start on the night.
Arbeloa and Co. have been very cautious with the defender’s situation and have not allowed him back on the field until he completely recovers from his injury. Now that he is at 100%, all signs point to him starting against Valencia which comes as a major boost.
All eyes, needless to say, will be on the right-back come Sunday night and the player will look to get off to a decent start post-injury. He does have massive expectations to fulfil, and tomorrow should hopefully be the start of a golden period for him.
A menacing venue
Only a few stadiums across the globe perpetually hand Real Madrid serious problems year after year, and Mestalla is one of the few venues that fall in that category.
Since 2015, Real Madrid and Valencia have faced off at the Mestalla on eleven occasions, of which Los Blancos came out with three points only thrice. Five games ended in Valencia’s wins while three ended in draws.
Between 2014 and 2017, Real Madrid did not register a single win at the venue, and they suffered the same streak once more between 2019 and the end of 2021.
In more recent times, Valencia beat Real Madrid by a 1-0 margin in 2023, took a draw in 2024, and lost with a last-gasp Jude Bellingham winner in 2025. Notably, each of the last three meetings at the venue saw a player sent off.
As Real Madrid prepare to head into the same venue tomorrow evening, it is impossible to discount what the numbers say and the men in white must bear in mind that the fight will be a difficult one.
Valencia may not be enjoying a great season in La Liga, but Real Madrid’s performances have been nothing to cheer either and they will have to fight until the final whistle if they are to undo the curse of Mestalla once more.
Real Madrid made a mess of their game against Elche last night, and it is clear that the men in white have several flaws with no answers at the moment.
From being 2-0 up, the men in white bottled their lead and threw the game into jeopardy by permitting Elche to score two goals. The result, as many saw it, was set to end in a draw.
With some persistent attacks in the dying minutes, however, Real Madrid managed to build pressure on Elche and eventually scored one more goal at the death to take home the three points.
Needless to say, however, the negatives from the game far outweigh the positive news of the three points.
Madrid Universal brings you three takeaways from Elche 2-3 Real Madrid.
Another second-half collapse
After Real Madrid’s win over Rayo Vallecano at the weekend, Jose Mourinho stressed the fact that Real Madrid actually played only one half and that the fatigue began showing after the break.
On the night, the opposition began to enjoy more dominance and create chances after half-time as they outran and outpressed Los Blancos to good effect.
Last night was no different, and the second half went completely awry.
The men in white entered the half-time break cruising with a 2-0 lead and significant dominance over the proceedings. They had a massive xG, with Elche barely creating any chances of note.
After the break, however, the entire dynamic of the game changed as Real Madrid took a step back and handed the impetus to the hosts. Pressing high and attacking without fear, Elche dominated Real Madrid for most of the second half and had a staggering 60% of possession.
They scored twice – in the 71st and 83rd minutes – and equalised Real Madrid on the night. Given the visitors’ shambolic display, it was deserved for Elche.
At this point, the constant second-half collapses and fatigue struggles of the team after just 45 minutes of action must worry Jose Mourinho immensely. Heading into a derby away from home, Real Madrid have to do much better.
The away curse continues
While Real Madrid’s form at home has been imperious this season, their form away from home has been equally shocking.
They began their season with a last-minute win over Espanyol, and their second league game of the season on the road came against Real Betis and ended in defeat.
Heading into their third away game last night, there was an element of worry about how they would perform, and the trend continued once more.
Real Madrid did well to take the lead on the night, but they made the second half a massive war and far more difficult than it should have been.
At this point, serious questions have to be raised about Real Madrid’s form on the road and their inability to keep games under control when playing in away stadiums.
Heading forward in the season, Los Blancos have some massive away games coming up against far more difficult opposition. The Madrid derby is up next, and the team’s form is nothing promising heading into that fixture.
Carlos Espi saves the day… again!
Real Madrid are currently on 15 points after six games in the league, but Carlos Espi has directly contributed to a massive chunk of that.
If not for the new Spanish striker’s ability to come up clutch in big moments, Real Madrid could well have been on just 11 points at this stage in the season, and the four points he has added are absolutely crucial.
Against Espanyol, it was Espi who scored a stoppage-time winner to hand Real Madrid all three points after a complicated match. Last night, he repeated the same heroics once more.
With the team staring at a draw, the new signing was at the right place at the right time to bury Kylian Mbappe’s assist in stoppage time, handing Real Madrid all three points at the death.
He may not have played a large part on the night, but his cameo was again powerful and it is clear that he elevates the team’s attack and provides new solutions in front of goal. Espi has already proven his talent, and his ability to perform under pressure is what makes him special.
