Real Madrid vs. Valencia: La Liga Live Score, Analysis, Recap

FULL TIME: REAL MADRID 1, VALENCIA 1

There's the final whistle! It's a draw, and Real will be disappointed.

Great start for Valencia and new manager Mauricio Pellegrino. Ricardo Costa and Victor Ruiz were immense in central defense, and Roberto Soldado's disallowed goal probably should have counted.

So, is it a shaky start to Real's title defense? Or is it the start of greater things for Valencia?

90+3

Casillas loses the ball in the air, but Ramos heads the ball away.

Whew! Real Madrid holding on.

90+2

Real's Jose Maria Callejon concedes a corner. Could Valencia steal it here?

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90'—RM 1, VAL 1

Into three minutes of stoppage time. Ricardo Costa and Victor Ruiz have been immense for Valencia in central defense.

89'—RM 1, VAL 1

Mesut Ozil leads a Real Madrid counter. Valencia eventually clear the ball again, but what were they doing out of their own end?

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87'—RM 1, VAL 1

Yet another corner for Real. Ozil takes it from the right, and Valencia hack it away again.

All 11 Valencia players are behind the ball right now.

Moments later, Piatti receives a yellow card for a cynical foul in the midfield.

85'—COLLISION

Xabi Alonso cracks heads with two Valencia defenders. That looked painful, but everyone is fine.

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84'—YELLOW CARD

Handball called on Joao Pereira. That's an automatic yellow card in Spain.

Silly rule, if you ask me.

82'—SAVE!

Ronaldo cuts through the box on the left and squares to the middle. The ball rolls free until Callejon runs on and powers a shot on the Valencia goal.

Diego Alves tips it over the bar.

Alves then makes another save, this one more comfortable, on the corner.

81'—SUB

Raul Albiol takes a ridiculously ambitious shot from 40-45 yards. Not surprisingly, the ball rolls well wide.

Valencia then make their final change. Sofiane Feghouli makes way for Nelson Valdez.

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79'—OOH!

Xabi Alonso picks out Jose Maria Callejon's darting run behind the Valencia defense.

The pass sails inches too far for Callejon, and Diego Alves collects the ball gratefully.

77'—RM 1, VAL 1

Ozil takes yet another corner for Real. Valencia's defense heads it away again.

Real seem to be running out of ideas. How is that possible?

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72'—SHOT!

Karim Benzema pounces on a loose ball in the box and uncorks a powerful low shot at the near post.

Alves pushes it away for a corner.

Sergio Ramos then flicks his header wide from the corner.

Surely Real must break through soon, right?

71'—SUBS

For Valencia, Roberto Soldado is replaced by Daniel Parejo.

For Real Madrid, Jose Maria Callejon is replaced by Angel Di Maria, who felt some after-effects on that challenge in the box moments ago.

Of course, Soldado took about 10 times as long to head off the pitch. Nice gamesmanship.

70'—RM 1, VAL 1

Real laying siege to Valencia's box now. So far, Los Che are pushing back every attack.

Can they hold out?

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67'—SHOT!

Mesut Ozil tests Diego Alves with a close-range header on the left. Comfy save for the Valencia keeper.

Moments later, Di Maria falls under a challenge in the box. It looks like a penalty, but the referee says no.

66'—VALENCIA SUB

Pablo Piatti replaces Andres Guardado.

65'—OFF THE POST!

Di Maria lofts the ball over the top. Higuain runs on and redirects his header onto the bar!

Unlucky for Higuain!

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64'—SHOT!

Xabi Alonso takes the free kick short to Ronaldo, who tries a shot from the edge of the box on the left.

It's blocked.

Valencia defending well right now.

63'—FREE KICK

Cristiano Ronaldo dances down the left and falls under a poor challenge from Joao Pereira.

Ronaldo then lobbies for his Portugal teammate to be booked.

61'—REAL SUB

Karim Benzema joins the match. Lassana Diarra heads off.

Jose Mourinho is rolling the dice. He wants a victory.

Will it work?

David Ramos/Getty Images

59'—RM 1, VAL 1

Further replays suggest Soldado was onside moments ago. He put the ball in the net on the play, so maybe the goal should have counted.

Could that be a point of controversy?

56'—OFFSIDE!

Roberto Soldado breaks free behind the Real Madrid defense after a quick free kick. He's whistled for offside, and Mauricio Pellegrino is livid.

Replays are inconclusive.

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53'—MISS!

Mesut Ozil picks out Angel Di Maria, who's bursting into the box, with a pass from the right.

Di Maria controls beautifully but slots his shot wide of the near post!

52'—CHANCE!

Sergio Ramos is whistled for offside as Real threaten the Valencia goal on a free kick.