Real Madrid's 22-game winning run in all competitions came to an end on Sunday as they lost 2-1 at Valencia in La Liga.

A Cristiano Ronaldo penalty sent the visitors ahead after 14 minutes, but second-half goals from Antonio Barragan and Nicolas Otamendi secured all the points for Los Che.

Real Madrid remain top on 39 points despite the defeat, while Valencia have moved into fourth position.

Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two Spanish rivals.

Match statistics

VALENCIA
Shots: 11
On target: 3
Possession: 40%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 24

REAL MADRID
Shots: 19
On target: 8
Possession: 60%
Corners: 11
Fouls: 17

Was the result fair?

Statistics, especially in football, rarely paint a false picture and on first viewing, it would appear that Real Madrid were unlucky to lose at the Mestalla after dominating all of the major areas. However, there is little doubt that Valencia deserved to record all the points here.

The home side only managed three attempts on target, but they caused Real Madrid all sorts of problems in the final third. It is correct that the visitors had 19 attempts, but the majority of those were from outside of the box.

It was always going to be a difficult task for Valencia to respond after falling 1-0 behind to a team that had won their last 22 matches, but the home side showed such character and fighting spirit to respond. Real Madrid had chances to level late on and while a draw would not have been a particularly unfair result, Valencia just about deserved to claim the victory due to their superior work-rate.

Valencia's performance

There is no question that Valencia have their eyes on a top-four finish this season, which means that they will need to pick up points against the bigger teams, especially at the Mestalla. Los Che cruelly lost at home to Barcelona earlier in the season and another defeat here would have shattered their confidence. However, confidence was never an issue on Sunday.

They started on the front foot, but as mentioned, fell behind to a Ronaldo penalty after Alvaro Negredo had handled inside the penalty box. The home side responded, however, and despite trailing at the break, there were positive signs ahead of the second period. The equaliser came after 52 minutes when Barragan had a strike deflected into the bottom corner and they made the most of their positive 15-minute spell that followed, with Otamendi converting after 65 minutes to send the hosts into the lead.

They had to survive some pressure in the latter stages, but it was far from smash-and-grab. In fact, had Andre Gomes converted a couple of golden chances then it might have been more comfortable. Otamendi proved the standout performer, but the likes of Gomes, Enzo Perez - on his debut - and Lucas Orban were brilliant for the home side.

Real Madrid's performance

Los Blancos lost 4-2 to AC Milan in a friendly last week, but head coach Carlo Ancelotti insisted that the defeat did not impact his players. That might have been true, but there seemed to be a slight hangover from the Club World Cup at the Mestalla. Real Madrid were a shade fortunate to take the lead, with Ronaldo's penalty coming a little against the run of play.

However, unlike in previous matches, the visitors failed to build on their early advantage and allowed Valencia to find a response. Credit must of course be given to the home side, but Los Blancos were certainly off-colour. Ronaldo scored from the spot but had a largely frustrating afternoon, while Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema also struggled to make their mark in the final third.

Toni Kroos was his usual tidy self in the middle of the park, but there was a lack of creativity at the Mestalla, with Isco also far from his best. The winning run was always going to come to an end at some point, but it finished with a bit of a whimper here. Now, victory for Barcelona away to Real Sociedad later on Sunday would send the Catalan outfit to the summit.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Nicolas Otamendi: In truth, this is not a particularly difficult decision. The Argentine has been one of the league's standout players this season and his strong form continued against Real Madrid. The likes of Ronaldo and Benzema both struggled to get the better of the centre-back, who was strong in the challenge and dominant in the air. There was also the small matter of his winning goal, which was a towering header from a Dani Parejo corner. Manchester United are said to be monitoring the defender.

Biggest gaffe

Bale did not have his best match for Real Madrid, but the Welshman had a golden opportunity to send his side ahead just before the hour, when the score was still 1-1. The attacker's pace took him away from the Valencia defence, but instead of rolling a simple cross into Benzema, who would have surely slotted home, Bale decided to go alone and ran straight into Valencia goalkeeper Diego Alves. A goal for the visitors at that stage of the match could have produced a very different outcome.

Referee performance

To suggest that it was a busy first period for referee Jesus Gil is perhaps the understatement of the century. Incredibly, the official issued seven yellow cards in the first 45 minutes following a number of feisty challenges. Gil's major call was correct, however, as he issued Real Madrid a penalty for a Negredo handball inside the penalty box. The Spaniard's work in the first period seemed to calm matters in the second and just two bookings arrived after the break.

What next?

Valencia: Los Che are in Copa del Rey last-16 action at home to Espanyol on Wednesday, before travelling to Celta Vigo in the league next weekend.

Real Madrid: Ancelotti's side will travel to Atletico Madrid for the first leg of their last-16 Copa del Rey clash on Wednesday. Los Blancos' next league match is at home to Espanyol on Saturday.