It was a weekend of missed chances in La Liga. Real Madrid, heavily favored in the title race, suffered a shock 2-1 home defeat to Valencia, who hadn’t won at the Bernabeu in 17 years. The result opened the door for Barcelona to extend their lead — but they failed to take full advantage, managing only a 1-1 draw against Real Betis.
Madrid’s match was a tale of missed opportunities. Vinicius Junior squandered a penalty early on — his second miss in as many games — before redeeming himself in the second half with the equalizer, after Diakhaby had given Valencia a surprise lead. Vinicius’ goal marked his 104th with the club, drawing him level with Ronaldo Nazário as the most prolific Brazilian in Real’s history.
Despite heavy pressure and a flurry of chances — including three missed by Mbappé — Madrid couldn’t find a second goal. Mamardashvili, Valencia’s goalkeeper, was outstanding. The final blow came in stoppage time, when Duro struck on the counter to seal the win. “It wasn’t a deserved loss,” said a disappointed Carlo Ancelotti. “We created a lot, but lacked sharpness.”
Barcelona extend Liga lead, Atletico stumble again, Real Sociedad back on track
29 Mar - 19:52 •
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Meanwhile, Barcelona took an early lead through Gavi, but were pegged back by a Natan header. Despite dominating the second half, Raphinha, Lewandowski, and Gavi all missed clear chances. In the dying moments, Barça almost paid the price as Natan threatened again, only to be denied by a sensational Szczesny save.
As it stands, Barcelona lead Real by four points, but with six games to play, the title race is far from over.
