Valencia powered their way to annihilate reigning La Liga champions. Real Madrid, 4-1 on Sunday, benefiting from Carlos Soler’s hat-trick from the penalty spot.
Real took the lead after Karim Benzema found the back of the net with a sublime long-range effort before Soler struck an equaliser from a penalty that was retaken after the officials spotted an encroachment.
A Rafael Varane’s own goal made it 2-1 before Soler bagged his second goal of the night from a penalty awarded after Marcelo was controversially adjudged to have fouled Maxi Gomez.
Soler completed his hat-trick from the spot after Sergio Ramos was penalized for handling the ball in the box.
Zinedine Zidane’s team were aiming to move to within a point of table-toppers Real Sociedad heading into the international break, but they remain four points off the top after this heavy defeat, albeit with a game in hand.
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Zidane would be worried to have seen Benzema unable to finish the game after going off injured.
Real started the game on the front foot and there was no sign of what was to come when France forward Benzema fired the visitors into the lead with a fine strike from distance
Valencia equalised through a retaken penalty, which had been awarded after Lucas Vazquez handled the ball in the 18-yard area.
Soler saw his spot-kick saved by Thibaut Courtois and hit the post with the rebound. Team-mate Yunus Musah then poked the loose ball home, only for the goal to be ruled out after a video assistant referee (VAR) review showed him encroaching in the area. A retake was ordered and Soler converted from it 1-1.
Hosts Valencia, having managed only one attempt on target in the first half, went into half-time with the lead after defender Varane conceded a bizarre own goal.
Valencia went on to score two more from the spot. With Soler, 23, becoming only the third player in La Liga history to convert three spot-kicks in one game.
