With club legend Rubén Baraja replaced at the helm over the winter break, Los Ches set about their survival mission with arguably the toughest fixture Corberan could’ve been presented with for his debut.
But after Federico Valverde was denied inside five minutes, the hosts asserted themselves, piecing together fast, flowing attacks that a disjointed Real side couldn’t live with.
Strike partners Hugo Duro and Andre Almeida were denied in quick succession by Thibaut Courtois, before full-back Dimitri Foulquier also fell victim to the big Belgian between the sticks.
Courtois’ one-man defiance would eventually prove insufficient however, as after saving Javi Guerra’s initial effort, Los Blancos’ goalkeeper was beaten by Duro’s rebound. V
alencia’s talisman had now netted in three successive H2Hs, but with 10 of the prior 11 H2Hs held at this ground seeing both sides score, the hosts knew they could take nothing for granted.
That notion was only reinforced by a late resurgence from Carlo Ancelotti’s men before the break, though neither Valverde or Vinicius Junior could breach Stole Dimitrievski’s goal.
Real took that momentum into the second half, and were presented with the chance to draw level when Tarrega bundled Kylian Mbappe over in the box.
Bellingham assumed responsibility from 12 yards, but after a stuttering run-up, the Englishman was denied by the post. The visitors did have the ball in the net on the hour mark through Mbappe, who showed outrageous close control to round Dimitrievski and slam into an empty net, but the goal was eventually chalked off as the French international was offside in the build-up.
The hosts’ goal was under siege, with Rodrygo the next Real player to go close with a header that flashed over the bar.
Valencia’s hopes of clinging onto victory were boosted by an act of stupidity from Real’s leading man, as Vinicius Jr was dismissed after a VAR review for a petulant push to the back of Dimitrievski’s head in an off-the-ball incident.
Not dismayed, Ancelotti’s men kept their head to salvage a point late on through the evergreen Modric, who pounced on Bellingham’s incisive first-time through ball to slot home his first club goal since February.
Momentum was with the visitors, and the growing pressure on Los Ches forced Hugo Guillamon into a fatal mistake, as his under-hit backpass was seized on and duly curled home by Bellingham.
That late strike sealed just a third win in 11 visits to the Mestalla for Real, who summit the table for the time being after extending their unbeaten run across all competitions to six matches.
Valencia, meanwhile, remain in the drop zone and four points from safety after wilting in the closing stages, even if they came inches away from rescuing a point when Luis Rioja curled against the woodwork in the 100th minute.