Valencia vs Real Madrid at Mestalla on Saturday presents contrasting prospects, with Jose Mourinho’s side aiming to move level on points with La Liga leaders Barcelona while the hosts fight to escape the bottom two.
Real Madrid are third, three points behind Barcelona, and would draw level provisionally with victory. Barcelona face second-placed Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
Madrid have won their last seven matches in all competitions, including four league games and an El Clasico victory, since losing 2-1 to Atletico Madrid in September.
Valencia, by contrast, are second bottom after taking nine points from 11 matches. Their 1-0 win at Elche last weekend, secured by substitute striker Sadiq’s second-half goal, ended a run of three games without victory.
“It’s a very important win for us, because we’d come off three matches without a victory, and now we have Real Madrid CF coming up,” Valencia coach Javier Aguirre said. “We couldn’t afford to get cut adrift.”
Aguirre added that victories for Getafe and Espanyol meant Valencia had needed to match those results to prevent the gap from growing.
Real Madrid’s Bellingham boost before Valencia test
Jude Bellingham enters the match after scoring in Madrid’s 3-2 Champions League win over AEK Athens on Wednesday. His back-heeled finish also came as he made his 60th appearance in Europe’s leading club competition, becoming the youngest player to reach that mark at 23 years and 128 days.
Mourinho described the England midfielder as “a unique player” and said there was no midfielder in world football like him who was “complete on all levels”.
“Even on a day when he doesn’t have a great match, one of those jaw-dropping performances, he still brings work, leadership, ambition, quality, and goal-scoring ability,” Mourinho said.
Bellingham said his finish against AEK Athens had been instinctive. He connected with Marc Cucurella’s cross in the 32nd minute and flicked a first-time shot beyond goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli.
Mourinho warned that Valencia would provide a difficult challenge, praising Aguirre’s experience and clear philosophy. “This match is one of the toughest matches in the entire Spanish league,” the Madrid coach said.
Aguirre said his players would not need extra motivation. “We’ll be playing against one of the best sides in the world, and I hope that we have a good game,” he said.
Valencia vs Real Madrid: team news and recent meetings
Valencia will be without Sergi Canos, Diego Lopez and David Otorbi because of injuries. Jose Manuel Copete is doubtful with a knee problem, while Harvey Elliott returns from suspension and Sadiq is expected to start after recovering from a hamstring injury.
Madrid remain without Rodrygo, Raul Asencio and Ferland Mendy. Vinicius Junior is also unavailable as he serves the final match of a domestic suspension.
Real Madrid won the previous meeting 2-0 at Valencia in February, with Alvaro Carreras opening the scoring in the 65th minute before Kylian Mbappe sealed the result in stoppage time.
Madrid have won 114 of the 216 previous meetings between the clubs, compared with 59 victories for Valencia and 43 draws. Their last five encounters have produced three Madrid wins, one Valencia victory and one draw.
The match at Mestalla kicks off at 9pm on Saturday, November 7, with the corresponding time listed as 20:00 GMT. Real Madrid are rated clear favourites, with a projected 70.4 per cent chance of victory, compared with 12.7 per cent for Valencia and 16.9 per cent for a draw.
