Valencia 4-1 Real Madrid: Soler hits HAT-TRICK of penalties to heap pressure on Zidane

Real Madrid suffered another damaging defeat that will heap pressure on coach Zinedine Zidane, going down to a hat-trick of Carlos Soler penalties in a 4-1 Valencia triumph.

Madrid actually began the match in control and deservedly took the lead when Karim Benzema scored from the edge of the area.

But then the madness started. Lucas Vazquez was somewhat harshly penalised for handballing a Jose Gaya cross, but Carlos Soler missed the kick, saved by Thibaut Courtois. However, encroachment from a Valencia player led to the kick being re-taken, and this time Soler made no mistake.

And before half-time the hosts had the lead, Raphael Varane getting his legs tangled and bundling the ball over his own goal line.

At the start of the second half Kang produced a wonder-save from Courtois, who parried onto his post, and then Marcelo dived in on Maxi Gomez and the referee gave penalty number two. Soler slotted home again.

And then Sergio Ramos was penalised for a silly handball and Soler, for the third time, slid the ball into the corner of the net.

It was a total capitulation from the champions and they never looked like getting back into things after that, and they were further dealt a blow when Benzema limped off with what looked like a groin problem

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Valencia 4-1 Real Madrid: Player Ratings, Match Stats, Player Stats