Valencia striker Carlos Soler scored a hat-trick as his team beat
Real Madrid 4-1 in an extraordinary La Liga match.
Karim Benzema put Real Madrid ahead with a superb shot from
outside the penalty area before Valencia equalized with Solair’s
first three penalties after an unusual turn of events.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois saved Solair’s attempt,
then the Valencia striker followed the ball on the post and it
bounced back to his teammate Yunus Musa to shoot the net
before the goal was canceled after reviewing the video assistant
referee for entering the penalty area before taking the kick.
The referee ordered the penalty kick to be reinstated and Soler
was unsuccessful on his second attempt.
Valencia advanced before the end of the first half after a strange
goal scored by Raphael Varane, as the Real Madrid defender
sent the ball high over his head unintentionally and then crossed
the goal line, and the goal was calculated several minutes after
another review of the video referee.
Valencia’s young striker, Lee Cang-in, nearly scored the third
goal early in the second half but Courtois switched his shot
to the post.
Valencia, the home side, continued to press and received two
more penalties, the first for a foul by Marcelo against Maxi
Gomez and the second after a handball by Sergio Ramos.
Soler successfully executed both kicks, becoming only the third
player in La Liga history to score three penalties in one match.
