LaLiga nights at the Bernabéu feel different. It’s not the same kind of tension or energy as a Champions League night, it’s more grounded. You can feel it in the air: Real Madrid’s purpose tonight isn’t to prove something new, it’s to maintain. To stay on top of the table, to keep the gap with Barcelona wide enough to breathe.
And then the Real Madrid anthem began. Champions League or not, the Bernabéu never disappoints. The lights, the chants, the echo of thousands singing in perfect unison is like football’s version of theatre.
Before kick-off, Kylian Mbappé unveiled his newly won Golden Boot and his LaLiga Player of the Month award for the month of October, and the crowd’s reaction said it all.
When the whistle blew, Madrid looked comfortable. They weren’t overpressing, but they weren’t taking any chances either, it’s a familiar confidence you expect when watching Real Madrid play at home.
Mbappé was the first to make the stadium gasp. A near-perfect shot, blocked at the last second. Moments later, Valverde curved one just wide.
Valencia responded quickly with a counter, but Huijsen’s one-on-one defending shut it down. Madrid were pressing harder now, hungry for the breakthrough.
Then came that collective moment every Bernabéu regular knows: the penalty shout.
It’s almost funny how a whole stadium can think, feel, and sound the same way in one instant. The whistle. The anxious silence as the referee checks the monitor. The eruption when the decision goes Madrid’s way.
Penalty confirmed.
Mbappé steps up. Flashbacks of the missed penalty against Barcelona fly by. Not a big deal. He scores. 1–0.
And there’s nothing louder than the Bernabéu after a goal like that.
What fascinates me every time is the sync. Tens of thousands of people reacting like an unplanned choir, all in perfect rhythm, without rehearsal.
Minutes later, it happens again.
Mbappé.
A brace.
Another explosion of noise, another wave of white flags in the stands.
Madrid were exactly where they wanted to be: in control of the game, and in control of LaLiga.
Then, another penalty. This time, it’s Vinícius.
And as football always reminds us, nothing is ever guaranteed.
Missed.
But there’s no time to dwell. Within a minute, Jude Bellingham strikes from outside the box. He knocks, and the ball answers. 3–0. Madrid is calm.
The second half began like the first never ended. Madrid in possession, dictating every rhythm, every tempo. Valencia tried to make changes, bringing in fresh legs, trying to find a way back. But the control was already set.
As the game went on, the tempo dipped. The chants softened, the attacks slowed. Madrid were no longer chasing; they were managing. Protecting their lead, their energy, their position on the table.
It wasn’t a night of suspense where everything’s up for grabs, it was a night of confirmation.
Real Madrid are where they want to be. And for the rest of LaLiga, that’s the problem.
Just when everyone thought the deal was sealed, it came in the 82nd minute. Álvaro Carreras, with a strike that caught everyone by surprise. It flew into the top corner. 4–0. A goal worthy of the night.
After Carreras’ finish, there was no panic. The last dangerous rally came from Valencia’s side but eventually hit the post, it was already too late anyway.
The last minutes flew by slowly, because Real Madrid had already sealed the victory a while ago.
