REAL MADRID MOVED to the top of La Liga after scoring twice in two minutes to pull off an incredible late comeback against Valencia.
Valencia looked set for victory at Mestalla when Hugo Duro scored against his former club in the second half but the in-form Vinicius Junior equalised in the 86th minute before Karim Benzema headed home in the 88th for a 2-1 away win.
Real Madrid remain unbeaten this term, having now won five and drawn one of their first six matches in all competitions under returning coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Valencia, who stay third, have also enjoyed a strong start under new coach Jose Bordalas but leave hugely disappointed not to have taken three points from this game, let alone one.
Madrid sit two ahead of Atletico Madrid after Atletico were held to a goalless draw by Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, and six in front of Barcelona, who have two games in hand, the first against Granada on Monday.
Benzema already has six goals this season but the real bonus for Ancelotti has been the form of Vinicius, who has five goals himself, already more than the 21-year-old managed in the whole of the last campaign.
Both teams were hampered by early injuries as Real Madrid’s Dani Carvajal had to be replaced by Lucas Vazquez while Valencia lost both Carlos Soler and Thierry Correia, with Yunus Musah and Toni Lato coming on.
Valencia were faster and more aggressive and they had the better chances too, Gabriel Paulista going closest in the first half with a header from a free-kick.
Duro should have scored seconds after half-time when he ran in behind but Thibaut Courtois saved again and then Duro was thwarted by the Belgian for a second time after a mistake from Casemiro in midfield.
Finally the pressure paid, as Vazquez turned away from a deep cross from the right and the ball skidded off his back to the foot of Duro at the back post.
Duro still a lot to do with the bouncing ball but hooked a superb shot past Courtois into the far corner.
Summer signing Eduardo Camavinga replaced Casemiro and Rodrygo came on for Modric, with the Brazilian almost levelling for Madrid when he met Vazquez’s cross at the front post.
Valencia were dropping deeper and deeper and in the 86th minute they caved, Benzema showing impressive composure to turn and tee up Vinicius, whose shot nicked off Dimitri Foulquier, wrongfooting Giorgi Mamardashvili and flying in.
Madrid were not finished yet as Valencia conceded again two minutes later. Vinicius returned the favour by curling in a cross from the left, as Benzema nipped between Gabriel and Mamardashvili to head in.
Munster are looking good.!.
@Locojoe: They really are starting to look very good. I’d expect a but win and five points and would fancy them to run Castres close in France.
I see Joey is trying out the new invisible skipping rope. They have it all down in Munster.
@DeShawn Jersey:
Carbery, “Gee whizz I’m going to be playing next to Conor Murray”
Murray, “Here we go again”
Should be a pretty strong team picked today. Barring injury at 15 the only number I’m not sure of is 12. He could go with scannell or blyendaal there with the other covering the bench. Looking forward to seeing carbery in the middle of Murray and Farrell. Also looking forward to seeing loughman and what he can do in a big game against a good side. I’d expect a munster win by about 10 points I think.
@Jim Demps: Loughman is a good losehead he just wasn’t going to make it as a tighthead. He was right to leave, now with Cronin being injured he has a real chance to progress his career. Just hope he doesn’t end up going to the world cup with the US as that would rule him out long term for Munster.
@Jim Demps: Scannell starts. He might not be that highly rated, but in the last 3/4 years he has made that 12 jersey his own under successive coaches.
@Darren Byrne: I dont think loughman will be lining out for the states. He must be firmly on the radar of the Irish management for the future given that Healy, McGrath, kilcoyne and cronin are all in and around the same age and around the 30 mark now
@Jim Demps: guessing Blyendaal on bench to cover 12, Scannell to start( left foot), team kinda picks itself after that. Butterflies starting, can see Murray Carbery axis being what has been missing. Leinster have Jonnie, but Conor and Joey trump even him. 3 more sleeps.
There’s a Heineken cup or two in this young and developing squad.
@Paul O’Connor: naw, nobody is going to beat Leinster this side of the World Cup in France.
2nd row selection will be interesting in the absence of Jean Kleyn.
@retsnuM: Surely Holland comes in and Wycherley takes the bench spot, as he seems to have jumped O’Shea in the pecking. In terms of locks we are a little light. DOC2 could cover but he is injured, maybe POM can cover in a crisis. Definitely an area we need more depth.
@Johnny 5: well there is a certain Tipperary man out of contract in Paris this summer…
@Johnny 5: I agree re Holland and Wycherley but I seem to remember that O’Shea looked good recently – including in the heavy going in Zebre, I think. I really hope that he develops into Munster’s Devin Toner – he’s only an inch shorter that Dev, is still only 25 (26 next week) and has good players and coaches to learn from. Maybe uber-tall players take a bit longer to develop. As we know, 6-9 / 6-10 comfort blankets are very handy in the line-out for provinces and Ireland.
@Glenbower: I don’t doubt it’s possible and he has all the physical attibutes required, but he is back 2 years and looks like he is moving backwards in the pecking order. It’s not like lock is very competitive spot for Munster at the moment. He is competing with Holland (33 and without the physical attibutes to be top level lock) and Wycherley (only 20), O’Shea should really be pushing on and playing games if he is going to make it.
@Niall Collins: that would be great, but considering we couldn’t afford to keep him 2 years ago, and he has spent the last 2 years tearing up trees in Paris it’s hard to imagine him coming back. Plus the carrot of playing for Ireland at the RWC isn’t even guaranteed if he returned with the emergence of James Ryan and Beirne since he left
@retsnuM: Big Billy & Tadgh
Looking forward to this pairing. Suspect Cooney – Carbery might make for a fine combination as well though.