Valencia Provide Blueprint for Unsettling Record-Breaking Real Madrid

As Real Madrid walked out onto the turf underneath the sunny skies at the Mestalla on Sunday, Valencia's players formed a guard of honour for their counterparts from the capital in recognition of Los Blancos' capture of the Club World Cup prior to the short Christmas break. 

It was a gesture of respect. One of appreciation. The sort we rarely see until the closing weeks of a campaign. But it was also the only nicety the hosts showed their esteemed guests all day as action in La Liga returned to the Mestalla.

For the 90 minutes afterward and even in the hours beforehand, there was ferocity to the atmosphere in and around Valencia's renowned stadium. The guard of honour aside, Valencia, as a team and as a city, were hardly welcoming toward their visitors.

Not only was the combative mood buoyed by the team's form this season, but there was a sense that they were getting Real Madrid at the right time—that, after 22 straight wins and on the back of a short break, the European champions might be a touch vulnerable, perhaps needing a game or two to get back into their stride. 

That mood was evident when the Valencia team bus arrived at the ground, as thousands of fans greeted the players with extreme fervour. Once inside, a large portion of those fans turned their backs on Real Madrid as they were given their guard of honour.

And once the game commenced, the atmosphere was simply frenzied. It was the Mestalla at its peak. 

For their part, Nuno Espirito Santo's players were exactly the same. 

Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images

It was notable because for a couple of months now we've pondered over how this Real Madrid team could be unsettled. Every opponent faced since mid-September they've dismantled. Every system used to counter them they've torn apart. At every position they've looked superior. In every tactical battle they've looked a step ahead.

Half of a Spain and a portion of Europe have been dealt thrashings. Extreme ones. 

It was going to take something bold to halt the run, something aggressive with plenty of inherent risks. Playing it safe against this incarnation of Real Madrid isn't actually playing it safe at all—it's playing into their hands. 

Valencia, having clearly recognised that, went down the daring route. They disregarded caution. Embraced audacity. Accepted the risks. 

And it paid off. Handsomely. 

By day's end, the scoreline read 2-1 to the home side. 

Alberto Saiz/Associated Press

Most striking was Valencia's formation. Whereas countless teams have opted for conservatism against Los Blancos and subsequently received a hammering, Nuno deployed his side in a 3-5-2 shape with a potent-looking forward pairing of Paco Alcacer and Alvaro Negredo. 

But it was in the middle where Valencia saw the most decisive benefits of their bold system, with their numerical advantage—aided by their fierce attack on both the ball and the man who replicated the intensity of the fans in attendance—providing headaches for the silky trio of Toni Kroos, Isco and James Rodriguez. 

Without the ball, they were able to crowd the German and disrupt Real's central metronome. With the wing-backs pulling in to bolster the team's central presence, Isco and Rodriguez also found themselves without the time and space to release the forwards in their customary manner. 

When possession was won, the home side consistently found space between the lines, their high-risk 3-5-2 proving uncomfortable for Carlo Ancelotti's 4-3-3 in a contest that swung violently from end to end. 

And though Valencia found it difficult to control their aggression—Los Che picked up five yellow cards in the first half alone—Real Madrid found it even more difficult to control the tempo and, by extension, the game. 

Alberto Saiz/Associated Press

Interestingly, the biggest indicator that Valencia's system and combative approach were upsetting the Real Madrid machine came from Ancelotti. 

In the minutes after Nicolas Otamendi's go-ahead goal, the Italian replaced Rodriguez with Sami Khedira. Though the significance of the move might have been lost on some, it was a huge concession from Ancelotti. An admission almost that his system couldn't deal with Valencia's. For Khedira is an awkward fit in Ancelotti's Real Madrid; his game stands in contrast to the way this team has been crafted to play.

But here the manager needed the German's steel and physicality. Badly. The cohesion of the system had become a secondary concern. Valencia, by taking an extremely proactive method, had uncovered some weaknesses.

Such a situation, of course, shouldn't hide the fact that Real Madrid could have easily edged this contest themselves. Karim Benzema missed a good chance when he struck straight at Diego Alves, Gareth Bale was denied by a brilliant last-gasp tackle from Otamendi, Sergio Ramos went close twice and Cristiano Ronaldo struck the side netting with a shot he'd typically bury. 

Yet never did Real Madrid feel in complete control. Never were they able to dictate the game's flow over an extended period. Never could they hold the hosts at arm's length. 

Valencia went unconventional. Valencia went bold. Valencia went aggressive. 

And in doing so, they provided a blueprint for how to unsettle Real Madrid.

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