Football: Real Madrid puts pressure on Barça for the lead in La Liga, Mbappé scores

The race for the title is intense in La Liga. By beating Valencia (3-0), Real Madrid put new pressure on its great rival FC Barcelona, ​​on a day marked Saturday by tributes to Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel, who died on Tuesday.

The Spanish giant (2nd, 30 points) won an eighth consecutive victory in all competitions to return to a tie with Barça (1st), which challenges Atlético (3rd, 28 points) this Sunday.

Football mourns Jesus de Miguel

Saturday's result was enabled by a low half-volley from Madrid captain Federico Valverde (28th, 1-0) and a rebound from the right of the young Turk Arda Güler (36th, 2-0), decisive passer in the second period for Kylian Mbappé (76th, 3-0). Still stuck in the relegation zone, Valencia (19th) finished the game with ten men after a logical red card received by its captain Jose Gaya, for an overly committed tackle on the French striker (79th).

Like all other matches in the men's and women's first and second divisions, the match was interrupted in the ninth minute to pay tribute to Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel, who died on Tuesday after a violent collision with Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono.

A video retracing the career of the Spanish striker, in the second and third divisions, was broadcast on the screens of the Mestalla stadium to the applause of the supporters and players of the two teams, who entered the pitch wearing t-shirts printed with “De Miguel, 9, always in our memories”.

CD Tenerife in full mourning

In the Canaries, CD Tenerife, in full mourning, said a heartbreaking farewell to the man nicknamed “Demi” by supporters, during a ceremony at the Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez stadium (Santa Cruz de Tenerife). Moved to tears, club captain Enric Gallego paid tribute to the memory of his ex-teammate, whose human qualities he praised. “Demi, you will always be one of us. We all find it hard to believe that you are no longer here with us. That we will no longer see you enter the locker room, share a training session, or prepare for a match, nor hear your voice,” he regretted. “Talking about you in the past tense is profoundly unfair. […] You were sensitive, discreet, natural, close. Your spirit of camaraderie, your humility, your kindness and above all your joy of life, are things that we will remember all our lives,” he promised.

Rayco Garcia, majority shareholder of the club, announced that he would “sponsor” the player’s daughter “until she turns 18” to ensure that she “never lacks for anything”. An online fundraiser, launched by a former teammate of De Miguel, has already raised more than 120,000 euros to support his family.

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In the other matches of the day, Osasuna (16th, 12 points) snatched a draw (1-1) against its Basque neighbor, Athletic Bilbao (7th, 16 points) and Racing Santander (9th, 14 points) won (2-1) the duel between promoted players against the red lantern, Malaga (20th, 5 points). Espanyol Barcelona (13th, 12 points) was held to a draw (0-0) on home soil by Deportivo La Corogne (8th, 15 points).