Hot on the heels of current La Liga leaders FC Barcelona, Real Madrid kept pace with their eternal rivals after a relatively comfortable 3-0 win over Valencia on Thursday night.

Madrid’s win, which comes against a team that is battling for European positions next season, is a big step towards putting pressure on Barcelona in the chase for the title.

The first half of the match, which was played at Madrid’s Alfredo di Stefano Stadium behind closed doors the Bernabeu Stadium continues renovation work, did not see any goals as Madrid and Valencia traded attacking chances to no avail.

However, in the second half, Valencia’s defense and keeper Jasper Cillessen finally could do no more to stop Los Blancos’ attack.

Striker Karim Benzema broke the scoreless deadlock with a strike in the 61st minute to give his team a 1-0 lead.

Only thirteen minutes later, attacker Marco Asensio saw his first action on the pitch since a preseason ACL tear, nearly 10 months ago. In fewer than 30 seconds, he found the net to double Madrid’s lead in a triumphant manner.

Benzema wrapped up the game just before the final whistle blew, driving a a spectacular right-footed strike into the net to give the scoreboard its 3-0 final tally.

Real Madrid will look to keep pace as it travels to play Real Sociedad on Sunday, while the leaders face a tough game of their own at Sevilla.

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Real Madrid dominated Copa del Rey champions Valencia 3-1 in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to advance to the final of this year’s edition of the Spanish Super Cup.

Real Madrid will advance to play the winner of Thursday’s Barcelona-Atletico Madrid match in Sunday’s final.

This year’s Super Cup is being held in a four-team format and outside of Spain for the first time as the Spanish Football Federation looks to grow its brand internationally.

It was easy pickings for Los Blancos against Valencia on Wednesday. It didn’t take long for Zinedine Zidane’s side to find a lead after Toni Kroos scored a remarkable corner kick goal in the 15th minute of the match.

Less than a half hour later, Isco doubled Real Madrid’s lead with a goal that put his team comfortably ahead before the break.

Luka Modric, who might be playing his last season in the Spanish capital amid rumors of a possible departure to MLS, got in on the fun with a 65th minute wonder goal that turned the game into a laugher.

Dani Parejo’s stoppage time penalty after a Sergio Ramos handball gave Valencia a goal to get them on the scoreboard just before the match’s conclusion.

The competitions final will be held on Sunday evening in Jeddah.

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The first day of Champions League group stage action featured a surprise as heavy underdog Valencia upset Chelsea 0-1 in their Group H opener.

Los Che, who finished fourth in La Liga last season and won the Copa del Rey competition, appeared unfazed by the raucous environment at Stamford Bridge in London and held strong until Rodrigo Moreno was able to score the game-winning goal in the 74th minute of the match.

Chelsea was simply unable to find the net, despite a few clear chances and a penalty awarded by VAR for a handball committed by Valencia winger Daniel Wass in the 87th minute, which Ross Barkley clanged off of the crossbar.

That lack of finishing ability ruined Chelsea manager Frank Lampard’s debut as a coach in the Champions League competition and puts them in a hole going forward in what could be a challenging group. Ajax defeated Lille 3-0 to gain three points along with Valencia.

The win is even more unlikely considering all of the turmoil experienced by Valencia last week. The team fired coach Marcelino Garcia after a slow start to the season despite his run of success with the club over the past two seasons, replacing him with Albert Celades.

Celades struck gold in his first Champions League match, putting Valencia in a position to challenge for a spot in the competition’s knockout rounds.

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After weeks of speculation and a heated battle involving Valencia and West Ham United, Uruguayan striker Maxi Gómez has finally found a new home.

Gómez traveled from his native country to Valencia on Thursday to complete a physical with Valencia and officially sign a new contract to join the Champions League club on a five-year deal.

Valencia acquired Gómez from Celta Vigo, where he spent the past two seasons, racking up a total of 31 goals and 10 assists with the Galician club in 71 games. What makes his performance even more impressive with Celta was the young age at which he produced, as he joined the La Liga club at only 21 years old.

Celta will reportedly receive Valencia forward Santi Mina and upwards of $15 million, along with a loan for center back Jorge Sáenz, as compensation for Gómez’s acquisition.

Valencia beat out Premier League side West Ham United for Gómez’s signature, as the prolific striker reportedly preferred the opportunity to participate in the Champions League and to remain in La Liga over West Ham’s higher money offer.

The soon-to-be 23-year-old is expected to slot into Valencia’s lineup immediately and become a key part of their offensive attack.

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It’ll be an all-English Europa League Final in Baku later this month after Chelsea and Arsenal took care of business on Thursday night.

Arsenal walloped Valencia in the second leg of their matchup against the Spanish giants. They already held a 3-1 advantage in the draw after their win in London last week, and they left little doubt as to who the superior team was after a 2-4 win at Mestalla.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang turned in yet another stellar performance, scoring a hat trick for the Gunners. Alexandre Lacazette, his striking partner, also added one for Arsenal. Kévin Gameiro’s two goals were simply not enough for Los Che.

In the other semi-final matchup, Chelsea had to go to penalty kicks to dispatch of Eintracht Frankfurt and advance to the final.

Chelsea took an early lead in the 28th minute with a Ruben Loftus-Cheek goal. However, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Luka Jovic tied the game with a goal just after halftime.

After neither team scored through 40 more minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of extra time, the match went to penalties. Eden Hazard scored the clinching goal to send his team forward after a 4-3 shootout win in what may end up being his last game at Stamford Bridge.

The final will be held on May 29th in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The post Chelsea to Square Off with Arsenal in Europa League Final appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Hot on the heels of current La Liga leaders FC Barcelona, Real Madrid kept pace with their eternal rivals after a relatively comfortable 3-0 win over Valencia on Thursday night.

Madrid’s win, which comes against a team that is battling for European positions next season, is a big step towards putting pressure on Barcelona in the chase for the title.

The first half of the match, which was played at Madrid’s Alfredo di Stefano Stadium behind closed doors the Bernabeu Stadium continues renovation work, did not see any goals as Madrid and Valencia traded attacking chances to no avail.

However, in the second half, Valencia’s defense and keeper Jasper Cillessen finally could do no more to stop Los Blancos’ attack.

Striker Karim Benzema broke the scoreless deadlock with a strike in the 61st minute to give his team a 1-0 lead.

Only thirteen minutes later, attacker Marco Asensio saw his first action on the pitch since a preseason ACL tear, nearly 10 months ago. In fewer than 30 seconds, he found the net to double Madrid’s lead in a triumphant manner.

Benzema wrapped up the game just before the final whistle blew, driving a a spectacular right-footed strike into the net to give the scoreboard its 3-0 final tally.

Real Madrid will look to keep pace as it travels to play Real Sociedad on Sunday, while the leaders face a tough game of their own at Sevilla.

The post Real Madrid Beats Valencia 3-0 to Keep Pace in La Liga Race appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Real Madrid dominated Copa del Rey champions Valencia 3-1 in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to advance to the final of this year’s edition of the Spanish Super Cup.

Real Madrid will advance to play the winner of Thursday’s Barcelona-Atletico Madrid match in Sunday’s final.

This year’s Super Cup is being held in a four-team format and outside of Spain for the first time as the Spanish Football Federation looks to grow its brand internationally.

It was easy pickings for Los Blancos against Valencia on Wednesday. It didn’t take long for Zinedine Zidane’s side to find a lead after Toni Kroos scored a remarkable corner kick goal in the 15th minute of the match.

Less than a half hour later, Isco doubled Real Madrid’s lead with a goal that put his team comfortably ahead before the break.

Luka Modric, who might be playing his last season in the Spanish capital amid rumors of a possible departure to MLS, got in on the fun with a 65th minute wonder goal that turned the game into a laugher.

Dani Parejo’s stoppage time penalty after a Sergio Ramos handball gave Valencia a goal to get them on the scoreboard just before the match’s conclusion.

The competitions final will be held on Sunday evening in Jeddah.

The post Real Madrid Advances to Super Cup Final with 3-1 Win Over Valencia appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The first day of Champions League group stage action featured a surprise as heavy underdog Valencia upset Chelsea 0-1 in their Group H opener.

Los Che, who finished fourth in La Liga last season and won the Copa del Rey competition, appeared unfazed by the raucous environment at Stamford Bridge in London and held strong until Rodrigo Moreno was able to score the game-winning goal in the 74th minute of the match.

Chelsea was simply unable to find the net, despite a few clear chances and a penalty awarded by VAR for a handball committed by Valencia winger Daniel Wass in the 87th minute, which Ross Barkley clanged off of the crossbar.

That lack of finishing ability ruined Chelsea manager Frank Lampard’s debut as a coach in the Champions League competition and puts them in a hole going forward in what could be a challenging group. Ajax defeated Lille 3-0 to gain three points along with Valencia.

The win is even more unlikely considering all of the turmoil experienced by Valencia last week. The team fired coach Marcelino Garcia after a slow start to the season despite his run of success with the club over the past two seasons, replacing him with Albert Celades.

Celades struck gold in his first Champions League match, putting Valencia in a position to challenge for a spot in the competition’s knockout rounds.

The post Valencia Upsets Chelsea 0-1 at Stamford Bridge in UCL Opener appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After weeks of speculation and a heated battle involving Valencia and West Ham United, Uruguayan striker Maxi Gómez has finally found a new home.

Gómez traveled from his native country to Valencia on Thursday to complete a physical with Valencia and officially sign a new contract to join the Champions League club on a five-year deal.

Valencia acquired Gómez from Celta Vigo, where he spent the past two seasons, racking up a total of 31 goals and 10 assists with the Galician club in 71 games. What makes his performance even more impressive with Celta was the young age at which he produced, as he joined the La Liga club at only 21 years old.

Celta will reportedly receive Valencia forward Santi Mina and upwards of $15 million, along with a loan for center back Jorge Sáenz, as compensation for Gómez’s acquisition.

Valencia beat out Premier League side West Ham United for Gómez’s signature, as the prolific striker reportedly preferred the opportunity to participate in the Champions League and to remain in La Liga over West Ham’s higher money offer.

The soon-to-be 23-year-old is expected to slot into Valencia’s lineup immediately and become a key part of their offensive attack.

The post Uruguay International Maxi Gómez Joins Valencia in Blockbuster Transfer appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It’ll be an all-English Europa League Final in Baku later this month after Chelsea and Arsenal took care of business on Thursday night.

Arsenal walloped Valencia in the second leg of their matchup against the Spanish giants. They already held a 3-1 advantage in the draw after their win in London last week, and they left little doubt as to who the superior team was after a 2-4 win at Mestalla.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang turned in yet another stellar performance, scoring a hat trick for the Gunners. Alexandre Lacazette, his striking partner, also added one for Arsenal. Kévin Gameiro’s two goals were simply not enough for Los Che.

In the other semi-final matchup, Chelsea had to go to penalty kicks to dispatch of Eintracht Frankfurt and advance to the final.

Chelsea took an early lead in the 28th minute with a Ruben Loftus-Cheek goal. However, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Luka Jovic tied the game with a goal just after halftime.

After neither team scored through 40 more minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of extra time, the match went to penalties. Eden Hazard scored the clinching goal to send his team forward after a 4-3 shootout win in what may end up being his last game at Stamford Bridge.

The final will be held on May 29th in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The post Chelsea to Square Off with Arsenal in Europa League Final appeared first on SportzBonanza.