Real Madrid's clash with Valencia ended in a thrilling 2-2 draw, leaving fans on the edge of their seats until the final whistle. The match was a rollercoaster of emotions, with both teams displaying skill and determination on the field.
Real Madrid took an early lead through a goal from Karim Benzema, but Valencia fought back valiantly and equalized before halftime. The second half saw both teams pushing for the win, creating numerous chances and keeping spectators glued to their screens.
Carlo Ancelotti said an "unprecedented" refereeing decision saw what would have been a last-second winning goal from Jude Bellingham ruled out in Real Madrid's 2-2 draw at Valencia on Saturday.
Valencia led 2-0 with half an hour played at Mestalla with goals from Hugo Duro and Roman Yaremchuk, before a brace from Vinícius Júnior -- scoring at the stadium where he was racially abused by fans last season -- put Madrid level.
Deep into stoppage time, Bellingham appeared to have bagged the winner when heading home a Brahim Diaz cross until it became clear that Manzano had already blown the full time whistle.
Madrid's players naturally swarmed Manzano with Bellingham particularly animated and sent off for his protests.
At his post-match press conference following the 2-2 draw, Ancelotti shed light on what Bellingham said to Manzano and stressed that the Englishman hadn't insulted the match official.
The match started with Madrid dominating possession, but Valencia took the lead with their first dangerous chance which Hugo Duro converted in the 27th minute. Things got even more complicated two minutes later with Yaremchuk's goal, who beat Lunin one-on-one. The leaders had to react to turn around the 2-0 deficit and could have reduced the deficit when Valverde's powerful shot from the edge of the area was met by a great save from Mamardashvili in the 41st minute. In stoppage time, Carvajal crossed, the ball hit Javi Guerra's chest and pinged around the box until Vini Jr. popped up to tap it into the net. 2-1 at half-time but the storyline was to change after the break.
Valencia defender Mouctar Diakhaby was carried off on a stretcher after an apparent leg injury when Aurélien Tchouaméni crashed into him in the final minutes.
Madrid moved to 66 points in the standings, seven points ahead of second-placed Girona, who have a game in hand at Mallorca on Sunday. Barcelona are third on 57 points.
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