Valencia 2-2 Real Madrid: 5 Hits and Flops as Vinicius Jr scores a brace in an exciting draw | La Liga 2023-24

Real Madrid were held to a 2-2 draw by Valencia at the Mestalla Stadium in La Liga on Saturday, March 2.

The hosts entered this contest on the back of a mixed run of form. With two wins, two defeats and one draw in their last five, Valencia looked slightly shaky prior to this game. They also failed to score a goal in three of those five games. However, Ruben Baraja and his men were confident of putting on a show.

Los Blancos, on the other hand, were unbeaten in their eight games leading up to this one. In that phase, they secured six wins and two draws as they continue their march towards the La Liga crown. Real secured a narrow 1-0 win over Sevilla in their last game and Carlo Ancelotti was looking to keep the run going.

Real Madrid made a positive start to the game as they looked to dominate possession of the ball in the first half. With 70% of the ball, it seemed like they would find it easy to break down Valencia and score. However, things turned out the complete opposite.

Hugo Duro fired the hosts 1-0 up midway through the first half following an assist by Fran Perez. Roman Yeremchuk then doubled their lead just three minutes later to send the Mestalla into raptures. Vinicius Junior brought Real Madrid back into the contest with a goal on the brink of half-time as Valencia led 2-1 at the break.

Both Baraja and Ancelotti made several changes to begin the second half. However, the balance shifted in Real Madrid's favor later in the game as they gained momentum. Vinicius bagged his second of the night in the 76th minute as man of the moment Brahim Diaz assisted him.

There was late drama as Valencia were awarded a penalty in the 93rd minute, but it was later canceled. Meanwhile, Los Blancos ended the game with 10 men as Jude Bellingham received a late red card as the final score was 2-2.

That said, let's take a look at the hits and flops from the game.

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#5. Hit - Roman Yeremchuk (Valencia)

The Ukrainian forward had a good game and did enough to occupy Real Madrid's defenders. He scored with his only shot on goal and also completed one dribble. Yeremchuk won three duels, making one clearance, one interception and one tackle.

Besides the goal, Yeremchuk also aided in his team's build-up play by being the perfect link between midfield and attack. He passed the ball with 64% accuracy.

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#4. Flop - Daniel Carvajal (Real Madrid)

Carvajal was at direct fault for Valencia's second goal. His team were being pressed well by Valencia and were forced to get rid of the ball. While doing that, Carvajal kicked it straight to Yeremchuk instead of Andriy Lunin. The forward made no mistake and scored to make it 2-0.

Apart from that, the Spaniard won three duels, making two tackles, one clearance and one block. He also played two long balls and one cross.

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#3. Hit - Hugo Duro (Valencia)

Duro had a great game for Valencia and even scored their first goal with an opportunistic finish. Fran Perez received a long ball and cushioned it towards the center of Real Madrid's penalty area. Duro reacted quickest to nod the ball home before it was cleared.

He attempted two shots on target, won two duels, and made two clearances in the process. He also played one long ball.

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#2. Flop - Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)

Bellingham had a rather dull outing against Valencia as he failed to make an impact on the game. He passed the ball with 80% accuracy, but there were no key passes. He attempted one shot and missed a golden chance to get on the scoresheet.

Bellingham was booked in second-half stoppage time after he protested the referee's full-time whistle. The Englishman had put the ball in the net at the end, but the whistle was blown before the cross, making his argument redundant.

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#1. Hit - Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)

Vinicius had a great game as he bagged his eighth and ninth La Liga goals this season. He scored on the cusp of half-time to keep Real Madrid in the contest at 2-1. He also netted in the 75th minute to make it 2-2 and give his team hopes of finding a winner late on.

The Brazilian passed the ball with 75% accuracy, including two long balls. He also won four duels, making two tackles and one interception.