When Real Madrid takes the lead, things become relatively easy.

Real Madrid beat Valencia 0-2 and continue their pursuit about Barcelona in La Liga

Álvaro Carreras scored Real Madrid's first goal in their 2-0 victory over Valencia.

If we accept that Real Madrid, due to their Copa del Rey defeat, are undergoing a second preseason, it's fair to say they've started at the end: playing matches at a leisurely pace, as if there were a whole school year ahead when final exams have already begun. It worked in Valencia, where they won thanks to a fortunate individual effort from Carreras and yet another goal from Mbappé, but it will rarely work again. The result, which keeps them one point behind Barça, was a dubious consolation. A more down-to-earth lineup, due to the absences of Bellingham, Vinicius, and Rodrygo, didn't produce a more intense team, although it did offer a touch more solidity. Valencia showed effort but never came close to scoring. That's no longer enough. The match ended in a chorus of boos and widespread calls for Corberán's resignation.

Injuries severely weakened Real Madrid and forced Arbeloa to field a steely midfield, with Valverde, Tchouameni, and Camavinga all in the same position. A triple dose of muscle for a team lacking creativity and confidence in a stadium that sees them as modern-day Mijatovic invaders. From the outset, the expected happened: they couldn't find a way through against a pressing Valencia side, pressured by their own fans.

The defense also looked patched together, with academy graduate David Jiménez playing at right-back. Arbeloa didn't dare to use Trent, who had been out for over two months, or Carvajal, who had only played 68 minutes since September. Both are far from their best. And up front, he opted for Gonzalo's nose for goal instead of Brahim's pace, whose impressive performance at the Africa Cup of Nations hasn't translated into success at Real Madrid. He deserves better treatment.

Corberán, who lost Foulquier at the last minute, applied the corrective measure of a three-center-back formation with two attacking full-backs, Rioja and Gayà, to exploit the flanks against Madrid after their Copa del Rey failure, yet another blow to a fanbase far more supportive of the team and its ownership. This 5-4-1 formation, which they adopted without the ball, significantly stifled Madrid's attack. Their bursts of grit allowed them to force a few corners, the closest thing they had to a scoring opportunity.