Bellingham bags late winner but Vinicius Jr. sent off

Real Madrid staged a remarkable late turnaround to secure a 2-1 victory over Valencia with Jude Bellingham netting the winner.

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

Valencia began the game brightly, taking the lead in the 27th minute.

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

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

Carlo Ancelotti’s Madrid side struggled to impose themselves early on, with Valencia looking more dangerous on the break.

The visitors had their best chance of the half when Federico Valverde fired a powerful effort 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 C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) January 3, 2025

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

Los Blancos came out with greater intent in the second half, but their frustrations grew as chances went begging.

A penalty awarded in the 53rd minute offered a lifeline when Kylian Mbappe was brought down inside the box. However, Bellingham’s penalty struck the post, letting Valencia off the hook.

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

The Brazilian clashed with Dimitrievski, pushing the goalkeeper in the face after a heated exchange. Reduced to 10 men, Madrid appeared to be running out of time and ideas.

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

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

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

Just as the game seemed destined for a draw, Bellingham capitalised on a defensive error in the fifth minute of added time.

Hugo Guillamon’s under-hit back pass left Dimitrievski stranded, and Bellingham raced onto the ball before calmly curling it into the bottom corner.

The Mestalla fell silent as the teenager celebrated what proved to be the winning goal.