Real Madrid Beat Valencia 3-0 as Mbappé Scores Again and Mourinho Makes La Liga History
Real Madrid kept their winning run going in style on Saturday, beating Valencia 3-0 at the Mestalla to move level on points with La Liga leaders Barcelona. Kylian Mbappé scored for the seventh match in a row, Arda Güler continued his fine form, and manager José Mourinho made a small piece of Spanish football history in the process.
It was Madrid’s eighth win in a row in all competitions, and their tenth league win of the season. They now have 30 points from 12 matches — the same as Barcelona, who stay top only on goal difference and have a game in hand.
For Valencia, it was another painful night. Javier Aguirre’s side are second from bottom of the table, with only two wins from 12 league matches and none at home this season. Their captain, José Gayà, was sent off late on, and a goal that might have changed the game was ruled out for offside.
The evening began on a sad note, with both teams paying tribute to Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel, who died during the week after a collision in a second division match. But once the football started, Madrid were comfortable from start to finish.
What happened at the Mestalla
Real Madrid travelled to Valencia knowing that a win would put real pressure on Barcelona, who were due to visit third-placed Atlético Madrid on Sunday. Mourinho’s side did not waste the chance.
The visitors were without winger Vinícius Júnior, who was serving the final game of a four-match ban. It hardly mattered. Madrid have thrived in his absence, and they largely dominated at the Mestalla from the first whistle to the last.
Valencia had one early moment of hope. Guido Rodríguez, the former West Ham midfielder, had the ball in the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside. From that point on, it was mostly one-way traffic.
Madrid took the lead in the 28th minute, doubled it eight minutes later, and added a third in the second half. Valencia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski did his best to keep the score down, saving efforts from Güler, Mbappé and Jude Bellingham, but the champions-elect in waiting — or at least the team chasing the champions — were too strong.
The goals, minute by minute
28th minute — Federico Valverde, 1-0. Mbappé’s free kick was blocked by the Valencia wall and the ball fell kindly to Valverde outside the area. The Madrid captain drilled a low strike into the bottom corner. It was a captain’s goal at a moment when Madrid needed to turn their control into a lead.
36th minute — Arda Güler, 2-0. Jude Bellingham’s cross was deflected kindly into Güler’s path, and the Turkish attacker finished with a sweet first-time strike. It was Güler’s third goal in five matches — a run of form that has made him one of the first names on Mourinho’s team sheet.
75th minute — Kylian Mbappé, 3-0. The goal that sealed the points came from a dangerous pass by Güler. Mbappé burst onto it, darted past Dimitrievski and squeezed the ball home. It was his 13th league goal of the season, and his 17th in 16 games in all competitions.
Valencia’s misery was completed late on when captain José Gayà was sent off with around ten minutes remaining for a late sliding foul on Mbappé. Los Che finished the game with ten men, and their wait for a first home win of the season goes on.
Mbappé’s remarkable run
Kylian Mbappé is in the form of his life. The French striker has now scored in seven consecutive matches for Real Madrid, and his goal against Valencia took him to 17 goals in just 16 appearances across all competitions this season.
To put that in simple terms: Mbappé is averaging more than a goal a game. He has scored in every match he has played for over a month, and defenders across Spain and Europe are finding him almost impossible to stop.
His goal at the Mestalla was typical of his current mood. He did not need a perfect chance — just a dangerous pass, a burst of pace, and a calm finish past the goalkeeper. Dimitrievski had already saved from him once in the match, but when the second chance came, Mbappé made no mistake.
The run is even more impressive because Madrid have been doing it without Vinícius Júnior, their other star attacker. The Brazilian was serving the final game of his four-match ban at the Mestalla, and Madrid still scored three and kept a clean sheet.
Mourinho makes La Liga history
The win also gave José Mourinho a personal milestone — and a place in the history books of Spanish football.
It was Mourinho’s 14th win from 16 games since returning to the Bernabéu, and it took him past Pep Guardiola as the manager with the highest win percentage in the history of Spain’s top flight.
Mourinho has now won 97 of his 126 La Liga games — a win rate of 77 per cent. That puts him just ahead of Guardiola, who won 116 of 152 games (76 per cent), and Carlo Ancelotti, who won 162 of 228 (71 per cent).
When told about the record after the match, the 63-year-old was typically focused on what comes next.
“It tells me that we have to win the next one because, in this life, people forget the nice numbers that might have some significance,” he said. “We don’t live off past numbers. We live in the present, and we have to win the next one. I had no idea, but obviously, it’s a source of pride because Spanish football has had so many top coaches throughout history. To be there with those numbers is a pride, but the next game is the most important.”
Mourinho also spoke about his team’s form since their last defeat — a loss to Atlético Madrid on 20 September, after which the current eight-match winning run began.
“From my experience, this team smells good,” he told reporters. “We never had chaos, we’ve been calm, we understand why we lost that game. I always fight for people to be balanced in the good moments, I always tell them that winning games in a team like Real Madrid, you can’t be taken up in a whirlwind of joy, winning games at Real Madrid has to be normality.”
Valencia’s troubles deepen
For Valencia, the defeat was another step in the wrong direction. Aguirre’s team are 19th in the table on nine points, a point from safety, with only two wins in 12 league matches and no home win at all this season.
They tried to change things in the second half, switching their system in search of a way back into the game. But as Gayà admitted afterwards, they never really got going.
“We knew it would be a tough game, facing Madrid at their best moment of the season,” the Valencia captain told DAZN. “We tried in the second half, changed our system… but we couldn’t get into the game.”
Valencia’s problems are not new. The club have been struggling for form all season, and the Mestalla — once one of the hardest places to visit in Spain — has stopped being a fortress. Their fans, who filled the stadium again on Saturday night, are still waiting for a home win.
With the international break now upon us, Aguirre will have two weeks to work with the players who stay behind. Valencia need answers quickly: they are already a point from safety, and the teams around them will not wait.
A night of tribute for Jesús de Miguel
Before a ball was kicked, the Mestalla fell silent. Players from both teams stood for a minute of silence as part of a tribute to Jesús de Miguel, the Tenerife striker who died on Tuesday after a collision with Andorra’s goalkeeper in a Spanish second division match on Monday.
Matches across Spain were stopped in the ninth minute to pay homage to De Miguel, who wore the number nine shirt. In Tenerife, fans and players gathered at the stadium for a memorial and farewell, and the striker’s funeral took place on Thursday, with around 400 mourners in attendance, including Spain coach Luis de la Fuente and Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez.
“You knew what it meant to work towards a common goal, you understood football as something that went far beyond oneself,” said Tenerife captain Enric Gallego in an emotional speech at the memorial. “Just a few days ago, we were sharing all of that with you — today we have to speak of you in the past tense. It’s terribly unfair.”
Spain’s footballers’ union had asked for all weekend matches to be paused as a mark of respect, but most games went ahead, with the minute of silence before kick-off and the applause in the ninth minute observed instead.
What the result means for the title race
Real Madrid’s win means the title race is now neck and neck. Madrid have 30 points from 12 matches, level with Barcelona, who lead only on goal difference and have a game in hand. The reigning champions visit Atlético Madrid on Sunday aiming to move back clear of the chasing pack.
Madrid’s position is strong. They beat Barcelona in the El Clásico at the Camp Nou on 25 October, and their eight-match winning run has come at exactly the right time — just as the season moves into its busiest period. They have won their last eight games in all competitions, and they have done much of it without Vinícius Júnior.
Mourinho, though, is already looking ahead to the international break with some concern. His players are now set to go on international duty, with some potentially playing two national team fixtures in the next week. He admitted he was worried about fatigue and injuries, and about his Brazil players in particular — with both Vinícius and Endrick currently out of favour at club level.
“I won’t talk because I don’t know if one day I’ll be a national team coach, but I have the feeling that if I ever do it, I’ll be very demanding with the clubs,” he said. “That’s the feeling. That’s why I don’t feel like calling anyone, even my friend Carlo [Ancelotti]. But, in Carlo’s case, just look at who’s going with Carlo: Vinícius, who must play; Endrick, and if Carlo plays him, I’ll be grateful.”
Elsewhere in La Liga on Saturday, new Espanyol coach Eder Sarabia’s side were held to a goalless home draw by Deportivo La Coruña, Osasuna snatched a late 1-1 draw against Athletic Bilbao, and Racing Santander came from behind to beat Málaga 2-1.
What happens next
The international break now pauses club football for two weeks. For Real Madrid, the break is a chance to rest key players and to welcome back Vinícius Júnior, whose four-match ban will be over by the time the league resumes.
For Barcelona, the immediate task is Sunday’s trip to Atlético Madrid. A win there would restore their three-point lead at the top; anything less, and Madrid will stay right on their shoulders.
For Valencia, the break is a chance to regroup — and a badly needed one. Aguirre’s side have two weeks to find a way to turn the Mestalla back into a place where they win games, starting with their next home fixture.
And for Mourinho, the record is already in the past. “The next game is the most important,” he said. After 14 wins in 16 games, nobody at Real Madrid will argue with that.
Frequently asked questions
Who scored in Real Madrid’s 3-0 win over Valencia?
Federico Valverde opened the scoring in the 28th minute, Arda Güler doubled the lead in the 36th minute, and Kylian Mbappé sealed the win in the 75th minute.
How many goals has Mbappé scored this season?
Mbappé has scored 17 goals in 16 games in all competitions this season, including 13 league goals. He has scored in each of his last seven matches for Real Madrid.
What record did José Mourinho set?
Mourinho moved ahead of Pep Guardiola as the manager with the highest win percentage in La Liga history. He has won 97 of 126 La Liga games (77 per cent), ahead of Guardiola’s 116 of 152 (76 per cent).
Where are Real Madrid in the La Liga table?
Real Madrid have 30 points from 12 matches, level with leaders Barcelona. Barcelona stay top on goal difference and have a game in hand.
Why were matches stopped in the ninth minute?
Spanish football paid tribute to Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel, who died after a collision in a second division match. He wore the number nine shirt, so matches were stopped in the ninth minute for a minute of applause, after a minute of silence before kick-off.
Where are Valencia in the table?
Valencia are 19th in La Liga on nine points, a point from safety, with only two wins in 12 matches and no home win this season.
Conclusion
Real Madrid’s 3-0 win at Valencia was about more than three points. It was a statement of intent in the title race, a seventh straight scoring game for a striker in the form of his life, and a piece of history for a manager who now has the best win percentage La Liga has ever seen.
Madrid are level with Barcelona at the top, they have won eight games in a row, and they did it all without Vinícius Júnior. The international break comes at a good time for Mourinho’s side — but if they return in this mood, Barcelona will have a real fight on their hands.
For Valencia, the wait for a home win goes on, and the pressure on Javier Aguirre grows. But the night will be remembered most for the silence before kick-off, and for a sport that stopped, briefly, to remember one of its own.
Sources
- The National, “José Mourinho proud of Real Madrid win percentage as he makes La Liga history”, 8 November 2026: https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2026/11/08/jose-mourinho-proud-of-real-madrid-win-percentage-as-he-makes-la-liga-history/
- The Express Tribune (AFP), “Real Madrid beat Valencia as Spanish football honours De Miguel”: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2639274/real-madrid-beat-valencia-as-spanish-football-honours-de-miguel
- Sports Mole, “Kylian Mbappe extends Real Madrid scoring streak to seven games”: https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/real-madrid/news/kylian-mbappe-extends-remarkable-scoring-streak-as-real-madrid-close-gap-on-barcelona_608711.html
- The Hindu Sportstar, “Valencia vs Real Madrid, player ratings La Liga: Mourinho’s men win 3-0 to move level with Barcelona”: https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/la-liga/valencia-real-madrid-la-liga-player-ratings-mourinho-win-mbappe/article71680481.ece
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
