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La Liga: Real Madrid share spoils with Valencia, fail to replace Barcelona at top

Real Madrid play Barcelona in the most-awaited Clasico on December 18, Wednesday night.

La Liga: Real Madrid share spoils with Valencia, fail to replace Barcelona at top

Real Madrid's Croatian midfielder Luka Modric (R) vies with Valencia's Spanish defender Jose Luis Gaya Pena during the Spanish League football match between Valencia CF and Real Madrid, at the Mestalla stadium in Valencia, on December 15, 2019. (Photo by JOSE JORDAN / AFP)

A late goal from Karim Benzema helped Real Madrid play 1-1 tie against Valencia in the 17th week of the ongoing La Liga season at Mestalla Stadium.

When it looked like Valencia were going to win the match with a one-goal difference, Benzema netted the equaliser in 90+5th minute, picking up a loose ball inside the area. Zinedine Zidane’s men will go in to the Clasico level on points with Barcelona and on a run of 11 undefeated games.

Both the sides remained goalless in the first half. In the second half, just when Madrid started attacking the opposition box with increased regularity, the Valencia goal arrived as Carlos Soler finished off a swift counter led by Wass in the 78th minute.

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From then on, the Whites went all out in search of the equaliser, leaving spaces at the back. Their efforts paid dividend in the waning moments when Benzema drew the second and last blood of the game.

Notably, Barcelona were held by Real Sociedad to a 2-2 draw in a nail-biting La Liga match on Saturday as Blaugrana’s poor run at the Anoeta stadium continued. The draw had given Real Madrid a chance to take over the first place ahead of next week’s Clasico, but draw against Valencia has kept them at the second position.

Real Madrid play Barcelona in the most-awaited Clasico on December 18, Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, riding on goals from Raul Albiol and Karl Toko Ekambi, Villareal defeated Sevilla 2-1 at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium. Munir El Haddadi scored the lone goal for Sevilla.

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