Ander Barrenetxea seals Real’s win at Mestalla (91st minute)

Ander Barrenetxea was the hero at Mestalla. The Donostia forward—who did not start the match—stepped up late to score in the 91st minute and secure all three points for Real, when the home side had virtually no time left to respond.

The goal that settled it

As MARCA reports, this was the player’s second goal in LaLiga. His first had come earlier against Espanyol. This time the game swung back and forth: Real took the lead 0-1 in the first half, created multiple clear chances to extend, but Valencia managed to equalise twice. First they levelled and then they also made it 1-2 after Carlos Soler scored from the penalty spot.

MARCA also highlights Matarazzo’s approach. Barrenetxea was one of up to seven changes from the starting XI compared with the previous match against Bournemouth, with the coach opting to bring fresh legs from the bench. After another late parity, Barrenetxea delivered the decisive strike with a right-footed effort that zipped into the far corner, sealing victory right as the clock hit 91 minutes.

Basketball shots and a winning finish

According to MARCA, Barrenetxea had been shooting “three-pointers” just about 27 hours before the Valencia game. The late goal became the night’s “winning triple,” as Real celebrated a comeback-style win decided when time was running out.

With that strike, Real moved up with a result where the bench impact and late pressure once again proved decisive at Mestalla.