Kylian Mbappe scored for the seventh match running as Real Madrid pulled provisionally level on points with La Liga leaders Barcelona after a 3-0 win at 10-man Valencia on Saturday.

Reigning champions Barca visit Atletico Madrid, third, on Sunday, aiming to move back clear of the chasing pack.

Jose Mourinho’s Real largely dominated at the Mestalla Stadium as they secured an eighth win in a row across all competitions.

Federico Valverde and Arda Guler’s first-half goals put Real in the driving seat, and Mbappe added a third in the second half.

“From my experience, this team smells good,” Mourinho told reporters.

The Real coach said his team did not lose their heads after their last defeat, by Atletico Madrid on September 20, after which their winning run began.

“We never had chaos; we’ve been calm, we understand why we lost that game,” said Mourinho. “I always fight for people to be balanced in the good moments; I always tell them that winning games in a team like Real Madrid, you can’t be taken up in a whirlwind of joy; winning games at Real Madrid has to be normality.”

Los Blancos were without winger Vinicius Junior, who was serving the final game of a four-match ban.

Real have thrived in his absence, putting heavy pressure on Barca, whom they beat in the Camp Nou Clasico on October 25.

In the ninth minute, the match stopped for players and fans to pay tribute to Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel, who tragically died on Tuesday.

Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a smart save to deny Aaron Mayol, who had picked Aurelien Tchouameni’s pocket in a dangerous area.

Valencia’s Guido Rodriguez had a goal disallowed for offside before Mourinho’s side took control.

Valverde drilled Real ahead from outside the area after Mbappe’s free-kick was blocked by the Valencia wall and fell to the Uruguayan.

Guler soon doubled the lead after Jude Bellingham’s cross was deflected kindly into his path.

Putting the game to bed

Guler had a good chance for the third early in the second half, but Valencia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski grabbed the ball as the midfielder tried to round him.

Minutes later, Dimitrievski saved well from Mbappe as the French striker ran through and tried to dink the ball over him.

Bellingham powered his way through the defence and was also denied by the goalkeeper, as was Mbappe following up with an overhead kick, as Real tried to find a third to kill off the game.

Eventually Mbappe produced it, bursting onto a dangerous pass by Guler to dart past Dimitrievski and squeeze home his 13th league goal of the campaign.

It was the forward’s 17th goal in 16 games across all competitions. Mbappe has netted in his last seven appearances for Real.

Valencia captain Jose Gaya was dismissed with around 10 minutes remaining for a late sliding foul on Mbappe to further spoil Javier Aguirre’s team’s night.

Los Che are 19th, a point from safety.

“We knew it would be a tough game, facing Real at their best moment of the season,” Gaya told DAZN.

“We tried in the second half, changed our system… but we couldn’t get into the game.”

Earlier, new Espanyol coach Eder Sarabia’s side were held to a goalless home draw by Deportivo La Coruna.

Osasuna snatched a late 1-1 draw against Athletic Bilbao, while Racing Santander came from behind to beat Malaga 2-1.