Real Madrid 2-1 Valencia: Marcelo's late strike sends hosts top

Real Madrid briefly returned to the top of the La Liga table after Marcelo's late winner earned them a 2-1 win over Valencia at the Bernabeu.

Cristiano Ronaldo - rested for the 6-2 win over Deportivo on Wednesday - headed the hosts ahead in the 26th minute, but missed a penalty in the second half to make it two.

Madrid were then made to pay further for a sloppy second period as Daniel Parejo fired in a fantastic free-kick in the 82nd minute to equalise.

But four minutes later, Marcelo cut in on his right foot on the edge of the area and sweetly struck the ball beyond Diego Alves into the far corner to ensure Real moved three points clear of Barcelona, only for their rivals to reclaim top spot with their 3-0 win over Espanyol later on Saturday.

Madrid were given an early clue that Valencia were going to be no walkover when the visitors should have been ahead inside the first minute - a Sergio Ramos error let Santi Mina in, though the striker's initial effort was well saved by Keylor Navas and his follow-up from a tight angle hit the post.

Following that early scare, Real had the majority of the play, though failed to carve out any clear cut openings - Karim Benzema picking out the goalkeeper twice with fairly tame efforts.

The first came from Benzema's head in the 12th minute from a decent Dani Carvajal cross, who was finding some joy down the right-hand side, while a left-footed effort from the striker after 18 minutes also trickled tamely to Alves.

Sandwiched between those Benzema efforts, Valencia's Fabian Orellana found himself free on the edge of the Madrid area after a quick breakaway, but rushed his shot and shanked it wide right of the post.

It was an increasingly rare venture forward from Valencia as the half wore on, with Real starting to dominate proceedings, and it was none other than the returning Ronaldo who provided the breakthrough.

Equally unsurprising was that the goal came from further fine work down the right from Carvajal, who delivered a pinpoint cross for Ronaldo to head home.

Real failed to work any further clear-cut openings through to half-time, though a second goal seemed to be imminent soon after the break when, in the 54th minute, Benzema first fired a right-footed effort from the left edge of the area at the far post and then Luka Modric was then brought down for a penalty - albeit rather easily - soon after.

But Ronaldo's rather tame effort from the spot low to Alves' left was well stopped by the 'keeper, who has the remarkable record of 26 saves from 53 spot-kicks, including three from four against Ronaldo.

Real continued to be wasteful in front of goal, with Marcelo skewing an effort similar to the one he'd later convert rather comically out for a throw-in in the 68th minute, while in the 78th Ronaldo failed to direct a terrific delivery from substitute Marco Asensio goalwards, clattering into the post for his troubles.

Against the run of play, Valencia punished their hosts for their profligacy as Parejo fearsomely fired in a free-kick from the left-hand edge of the area to equalise.

But just when it looked like the visitors might earn their fifth draw from their last six league visits to the Bernabéu, Marcelo located the back of the net to take Madrid three points clear at the top.