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Jude Bellingham missed a penalty and then scored a 95th-minute winner as 10-man Real Madrid snatched a dramatic win at Valencia to move top of La Liga.
Real Madrid ended 2024 on a high and looked to carry their momentum into the new year. However, they were caught cold in the 27th minute as Hugo Duro capitalized on a rebound, slotting past Thibaut Courtois after the Belgian goalkeeper’s initial save.
As the game wore on, Real Madrid’s attacking prowess began to shine through, and they were awarded a penalty in the 55th minute after Kylian Mbappé was clumsily brought down in the box. Jude Bellingham’s spot-kick struck the post, leaving the visitors still trailing.
Mbappé thought he had leveled the scores soon after, but his celebrations were cut short as VAR intervened, correctly ruling out the goal for offside.
The match took a turn for the worse for Real Madrid when Vinícius Júnior saw red for a reckless shove on goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski.
Despite being a man down, Real Madrid’s experience and guile told in the end. Luka Modrić popped up with a crucial equalizer, and Bellingham sealed the comeback win just 10 minutes later, sending Real Madrid top of the La Liga standings, two points clear of Atlético Madrid.
