Mbappé scores again as Madrid beats Valencia in La Liga. Girona’s Stuani fails late penalty test
MADRID (AP) — Kylian Mbappé struck again as Real Madrid beat Valencia 2-0 on Sunday to win its seventh game in a row in the Spanish league and move back within a point of leader Barcelona.
Mbappé scored from close range early in second-half stoppage time for his ninth goal in six games to seal Madrid’s win. Álvaro Carreras had put Madrid ahead in the 65th with his second goal with the club.
Madrid was playing without Vinícius Júnior (yellow card suspension) and Jude Bellingham (left hamstring injury).
Madrid’s last defeat in the league was in December at home to Celta Vigo.
Barcelona defeated Mallorca 3-0 at home on Saturday for its 17th win in its last 18 games in all competitions.
Valencia fans jeered the team after the final whistle. It’s in 17th place, just outside the relegation zone.
Betis’ revenge
Fifth-place Real Betis won 1-0 at third-place Atletico Madrid in a game played three days after it was routed 5-0 by Atletico at home in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey.
Antony netted Betis’ winner on Sunday to give the team its second straight league win. Diego Simeone’s Atletico has won only one of its last three matches in all competitions.
Stuani sees his penalty saved
Sevilla and Girona drew 1-1 in a game that was moved to Sunday because of bad weather, with Girona striker Cristhian Stuani entering the match just to take a late penalty kick and failing to convert it.
The match was scheduled to be played on Saturday but the league put it back a day because of a severe storm alert in the southern city of Seville.
Girona took the lead two minutes into the match with Thomas Lemar’s goal. The hosts eventually equalized with a long-range shot into the top corner by Kike Salas two minutes into stoppage time.
Six minutes later Girona missed a chance to get back in front when Stuani was denied from the penalty spot.
Girona coach Míchel put Stuani into the match to take the penalty after it was awarded, and the veteran Uruguayan sent a low shot that was saved by Sevilla goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos.
“If I have to take a chance on someone taking a penalty, it will always be Stuani,” Míchel said.
Spanish media said Stuani hadn’t failed with a penalty kick in a league game in three years.
The result left Girona in 12th place, one point ahead of 13th-place Sevilla. Girona is winless in three straight league matches.
Rayo Vallecano’s home match against Oviedo on Saturday was postponed on short notice because of safety concerns over the field at Vallecas Stadium.
Other results
Athletic Bilbao beat 10-man Levante 4-2 in a match with four goals scored after the 80th minute.
Athletic had a two-goal lead at halftime but Levante pulled closer in the 81st before the hosts made it 3-1 in the 86th. Levante scored again four minutes into stoppage time, and Athletic extended the lead in the ninth minute of added time.
Levante, second-to-last in the standings, played a man down from the 17th as Alan Matturro was sent off with a straight red card.
Athletic, in 10th place, hadn’t won in six straight league games with its last victory over Atletico Madrid in December.
Getafe, in 11th, ended a nine-game winless streak across all competitions by winning 2-0 at 14th-place Alaves.
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