"This was their best level" - Carlo Ancelotti says 2 Real Madrid stars are back to their best after 5-1 Valencia win
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti reckons Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes are back to their best level after they each scored a brace against Valencia last night (Saturday, November 11).
Following their frustrating stalemate against Rayo Vallecano last week, Los Blancos were able to return to winning ways, dispatching Valencia 5-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Dani Carvajal gave Real Madrid the lead in the third minute. Valencia had numerous chances to level the scores in the first half but were unable to make the most of their opportunities.
Vinicius punished the away side in the 42nd minute with an awkward goal from his chest following a Rodrygo cross. The Brazilian completed his brace in the 49th minute, finishing from outside the box from another Rodrygo assist.
Rodrygo was able to get on the scoresheet a minute later after a terrible Valencia error fell into the path of the former, giving him an easy finish. The 22-year-old got his second goal of the night in the 84th minute with a good finish into the bottom-right corner.
Vinicius and Rodrygo had sensational outings, racking up a total of six goal contributions between the pair. Ancelotti hailed them following the game, saying (via Managing Madrid):
“This was their best level, they just needed time to get back to showing their best qualities. In the last two games they’ve done it very well, finding spaces and playing with extraordinary quality. We can say that they have returned.”
Hugo Duro netted a consolation goal in the 88th minute but Real Madrid easily secured all three points. They are now second in the La Liga standings with 32 points from 13 games, two points behind Girona.
Real Madrid vs Valencia: Exploring the stats from La Liga clash
Real Madrid returned to winning ways in style against Valencia on Saturday. Let's take a look at the stats to see how both teams performed.
Carlo Ancelotti and Co. dominated possession with 56 percent of the ball. They also completed a total of 558 passes with an accuracy of 89 percent. In contrast, Valencia had 44 percent possession and registered 420 passes with an accuracy of 86 percent.
Both teams looked threatening up front but only Real Madrid took advantage of their chances on the night. The La Liga titans landed a total of 16 shots, with seven of them being on target. On the other hand, Valencia had 10 shots in total, with four being on target.