The Real Madrid-Valencia meeting had much more drama than any telenovela. The showstopper for this game, above everything else, was the intervention of referee Jesús Gil Manzano, who blew his final whistle at the precise moment Jude Bellingham scored to leave the tie alive. Talk about timing!
While Valencia jumped to a 2-0 lead, Real Madrid fought back like warriors; in such an aspect, Vinícius Júnior was the king of comebacks. And just when you thought it could not get any crazier, Bellingham's disallowed goal sparked an absolute firestorm of furor from the Madridistas.
A hostile atmosphere is now familiar at Mestalla, and it was certainly nothing new to Vinícius Júnior. He danced his way through with some style, offering more entertainment than a West End musical with his on-field antics.
Without Nacho, though, Real Madrid's defense looked more like a sieve, making more mistakes than a clumsy magician. But, well, it's at least always entertaining!
As lively as a snoze fest; Real Madrid were sleepwalking through the half until Vinícius Júnior roused them with an explosive effort. Halftime wake-up call, literally!
And, oh, not forgetting Bellingham's miraculous recovery from injury, playing like a superhero until he got a red card after the final whistle. That's one way to steal the spotlight!
Finally, it was more a game of soap opera twists and turns than plotting a soap opera. Who needs Netflix when you've got Real Madrid-Valencia?