Emotions were charged as Real Madrid made its return to the Mestalla Stadium for the first time since the racial abuse of Vinicius Junior last season.
Barbs were traded back and forth before the match, and the tension-filled 90 minutes took repeated twists and turns.
Real Madrid conceded two calamitous goals in the first half to put Los Blancos in a hole. But they fought back as an emotional brace from Vinicius drew them level with 14 minutes to go.
After a long VAR review, which denied Valencia a penalty, as well as a horribly gruesome injury to Valencia defender Mouctar Diakhaby in the final minutes of regulation, the teams were left with 10 minutes of stoppage time to navigate.
True to form in this fixture, the match ended in utter chaos, as Real Madrid were controversially denied what appeared to be the winning goal with the last kick of the game. Not only were Los Blancos left without the full three points, they will now be without star Jude Bellingham for the foreseeable future after he was sent off in the ensuing fracas.
Why was Real Madrid goal disallowed?
La Liga referee Jesus Gil Manzano made a controversial decision at the end of the match, one which denied Real Madrid the winning goal in the final minute of added time.
As the cross from Brahim Diaz came into the penalty area from deep down the right, the ball met the head of Jude Bellingham. Bellingham delivered a header with pinpoint accuracy, flicking it across the face of goal and tucking it inside the far post.
Yet Manzano, who had missed two blatant yellow card offences on Real Madrid players earlier in the match, shook his head and made it known to the players that he had blown his full-time whistle before the chance played out.
It was a truly astonishing decision from the official, with Real Madrid clearly in the attacking third and in the middle of a move at the Valencia goal.
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Why was Jude Bellingham sent off?
In the aftermath of the decision, Real Madrid players were bewildered at the call, with hands on heads in disbelief. Benches cleared as players and club officials flooded onto the Mestalla pitch, which descended into chaos.
As players surrounded the official pleading their case, a red card was brandished, but it was initially unclear just who was the target of the referee’s ire.
In the aftermath, it was confirmed that Jude Bellingham, who scored the disallowed goal, was the target of the red card. That means he will be suspended for upcoming Real Madrid matches in La Liga play.
According to independent journalist Fabrizio Romano, Bellingham let off an expletive-laden tirade, though the quote from Romano isn’t much worse than anything the referees hear on a weekly basis.
“It’s a f*cking goal, the ball is in the air. What the f*ck is that”, Bellingham said to referee Gil Manzano.
He’s been sent off. 🛑🏴 pic.twitter.com/F315n2XTBU
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 2, 2024
Madrid, who now sit seven points clear at the top of the Spanish top flight, host Celta Vigo next weekend before a road trip to Osasuna in mid-March. Bellingham would still be able to partake in the midweek Champions League match against RB Leipzig, as that is a European competition and thus not subject to suspension for offences in league play.
