Real Madrid win eighth straight to draw level with Barcelona

Real Madrid won 3-0 at Valencia on Saturday 7 November, taking their La Liga total to 30 points and drawing level with Barcelona at the top.

Barcelona stay first on goal difference and hold a game in hand. But the table Real Madrid climbed at Mestalla could tilt again within a day, with Barca due at third-placed Atletico Madrid on Sunday.

Federico Valverde struck in the 28th minute and Arda Guler made it two eight minutes later. Kylian Mbappe added the third in the 75th minute.

Valencia lost their captain, Jose Gaya, to a red card for a foul on Mbappe and played the closing stages with 10 men.

Atletico Madrid were third with 28 points before facing Barcelona.

Real Madrid's win at Mestalla was their eighth in a row in all competitions, a run that began after their last defeat, by Atletico Madrid on 20 September 2026, and includes a Clasico victory at the Camp Nou on 25 October. It’s a streak.

1. 20 Sep 2026Last defeat

   Atletico Madrid beat Real Madrid.

2. 25 Oct 2026Clasico win

   Real Madrid won at the Camp Nou.

3. 7 Nov 2026Eighth straight

   Real Madrid won 3-0 at Valencia.

Mourinho had to patch the side together at Mestalla. Vinicius Jr was serving the last match of a four-match suspension imposed for pulling an opponent's hair and protesting to the referee, while Yan Diomande started on the left wing alongside Mbappe. Valverde, a midfielder by trade, played at right-back and scored the opener.

There was no chaos in the group, Mourinho said; the players stayed calm because they understood why the September game was lost.

Winning at a club like Real Madrid should be treated as normal, not as a reason to get carried away, Mourinho said. He works to keep his players on an even keel when results go well.

Mbappe's goal was his 13th in La Liga this season and his 17th in 16 games across all competitions. He’s scored in each of his past seven appearances for Real Madrid.

Since returning to the Bernabeu, Mourinho has won 14 of his 16 matches. His La Liga record of 97 wins from 126 games, a 77 per cent rate, is the highest in the competition's history, ahead of Pep Guardiola's 116 from 152 at 76 per cent and Carlo Ancelotti's 162 from 228 at 71 per cent.

He said such numbers told him only that the next game had to be won, since people forget impressive figures as time passes.

Valencia are second-bottom with nine points from 12 matches. They’ve won twice, lost seven league matches and have no home victory this season. Javier Aguirre is their coach.

Gaya said the home side knew what awaited them against a Real Madrid team playing at its best.

Valencia tried to change things after the interval, the captain said, switching their system, but they could not get a foothold in the match.

The game stopped in the ninth minute for a minute's applause for Jesus de Miguel, the Tenerife striker who died after a serious injury in a Spanish second-division match.

• Espanyol 0-0 Deportivo La Coruna A home draw for Eder Sarabia's side.
• Osasuna 1-1 Athletic Bilbao Osasuna equalised late.
• Racing Santander 2-1 Malaga Racing came from behind to win.

With players heading off for international duty and some facing two national fixtures in the coming week, Mourinho feared tiredness in his squad. He wouldn’t ring national coaches himself, not even his friend Ancelotti, he said.

Vinicius Jr and Endrick are currently out of favour with Brazil, Mourinho said. He didn’t feel like calling anyone. Vinicius needs to play, while Endrick would have his thanks if Ancelotti picked him.

Real Madrid go into the international break with the win.

Barcelona visit Atletico Madrid on Sunday 8 November 2026, and the result will settle who leads La Liga going into that break.