Sergi Roberto believes Barcelona's victory over Valencia provides another example of their LaLiga title-winning pedigree after being made to work hard at Camp Nou.

Barca defeated 19th-place Valencia 1-0 at Camp Nou through Raphinha's 15th-minute header to move 10 points clear of Real Madrid, who travel to Real Betis later on Sunday.

The Catalan giants squandered a big chance to effectively kill off Valencia in the 55th minute when Ferran Torres failed to convert a penalty.

A red card issued to Ronald Araujo four minutes later for bringing down Hugo Duro as last man changed the complexion of the contest, but Valencia failed to hit back.

It was far from a vintage display from Barca, but Sergi Roberto is pleased with the manner in which they dug deep to claim a fifth straight league win in this fixture.

"We showed we know how to suffer," he told Movistar. "The red card meant we found ourselves defending more as a team. This is part of a winning team.

"When you go ahead, you need to find a second goal to give yourself some peace of mind. If the penalty had gone in... well. It's a pity, but you have to know how to suffer.

"Leagues are won in matches like this. We have left Madrid 10 points behind, which is something we have to value."

Sunday's match marked the first time Barca have had a player sent off and also missed a penalty in a LaLiga game since March 2007 against Sevilla.

Sergi Roberto played 81 minutes of the contest and finished with the best passing accuracy (92.9 per cent) of any Barcelona player, completing 26 of his 28 passes.

The Barca academy product signed a new one-year contract on Friday, making it 14 seasons for the versatile right-back at Camp Nou.

"It is clear that I have been here for many years," he said. "I am happy to continue at this club I've spent my life with. It is where I want to be, where the coach wants me to be. 

"It has been easy and we understood each other quickly. I hope that years of many titles will come."

Barcelona have now won eight games by a 1-0 scoreline in LaLiga this season, which is their most in a full season in the competition's history.

Head coach Xavi watched this latest win from high up in the stands as he served a one-match ban and was put through the wringer by his side.

"I'm never going to protest again because watching the game up there has caused me a lot of anxiety," Xavi joked. "Not being able to communicate with my players was tough.

"The red card was clear as [Araujo] was the last man. It's a shame because we were in control but didn't deal with the danger well. It's a red card.

"You have to know how to close out games. Many times we haven't done it and today we were made to suffer even more because of the sending off.

"A lack of effectiveness is making us suffer. But with many absentees today, and a red card, we showed we still won."

Ten-man Barcelona battled to a nervy 1-0 win over strugglers Valencia at Camp Nou to move 10 points clear of Real Madrid at the top of LaLiga.

Barca suffered a shock loss to Almeria in their last league game, prior to beating Madrid in Thursday's Copa del Rey semi-final first leg, and were made to work hard by Valencia.

Raphinha put the hosts ahead early on but Ronald Araujo's 59th-minute red card, shortly after Ferran Torres missed a penalty, set up a nervier-than-expected final half an hour.

Valencia had good chances either side of Araujo's dismissal, but they failed to test Marc-Andre ter Stegen and remain two points from safety in the relegation zone.

Barca head coach Xavi was in the stands for this contest due to a one-game suspension and he would have had a perfect view of Raphinha's impressive opener.

Sergio Busquets clipped the ball into the box and Raphinha timed his run to perfection to get in front of Giorgi Mamardashvili and glance the ball into an unguarded net.

Valencia should have been level before half-time, but Thierry Correia headed a big chance wide and Samuel Lino fired off target when Ter Stegen played the ball straight to his feet.

The visitors were given a let-off when Torres clipped the post from a penalty awarded for Hugo Guillamon's handball, while Ansu Fati hit the inside of the post just a minute later.

There was then a further twist as Araujo saw red having pulled down Hugo Duro to prevent the Valencia striker charging through on goal after Jules Kounde headed the ball into his path.

Valencia had a late penalty shout rejected for Franck Kessie's challenge on Fran Perez but ultimately failed to make their one player advantage count in the final 30 minutes.

Xavi described Barcelona as "the most difficult club in the world" after his team came in for criticism even after beating Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Copa del Rey semi-final win by Barcelona on Thursday handed Xavi's side a 1-0 advantage to take into the second leg, with Madrid unable to manage a shot on target.

Now LaLiga leaders Barcelona face Valencia on Sunday, when they will have a chance to, perhaps only briefly, go 10 points clear of second-placed Madrid.

Barcelona had only 35 per cent of possession against Madrid but did enough, with Eder Militao's own goal decisive. It was their lowest share of possession in any game since the 2013-14 season.

"I see that there has been a stir," Xavi said. "Barca is the most difficult club in the world. You win 1-0 in Madrid, and it is not enough. The style is discussed. If it had been the other way around it would be a national holiday.

"Madrid are Champions League and LaLiga champions. When they squeeze you, it's very difficult. Talking about possession when they go man to man is absurd.

"We weren't good with the ball, we have to improve, but without the ball we were extraordinary. We don't want 36 per cent possession, but this is football and there is a rival.

"There is always noise at Barca. We have to manage the noise. We did a lot of things well and there are others to improve. There are two titles at stake, and this is the moment of truth."

According to Xavi, the fact Barcelona only have two titles to go for could be helpful, after their elimination from the Europa League by Manchester United.

Madrid are also still hunting a Champions League title defence, with one foot in the quarter-finals after battering Liverpool 5-2 at Anfield in the first leg of their last-16 tie.

"We will have more time, but we would like to be alive in Europe," Xavi said. "We will have more time to rest and recover better, that is a certain advantage."

Head coach Xavi will be without several important players on Sunday, with midfielder Pedri and striker Robert Lewandowski among them, both sidelined by hamstring injuries, while Gavi is suspended.

Barcelona have won 87 per cent of their LaLiga games when Pedri has played (G31 W27 D3 L1) during Xavi's time at the helm, but that dips to just 50 per cent when he has been absent (G18 W9 D4 L5).

Pedri also missed last weekend's 1-0 loss to Almeria, which was just a second league loss of the campaign for Barcelona, who have not lost successive games in LaLiga since October 2021, when Ronald Koeman was boss.

Barcelona play in the afternoon in Spain on Sunday, with Madrid not in action against Real Betis until the evening.

A win for Barcelona would be a fifth in a row against Valencia on league duty, matching their longest streak of victories against Los Che, achieved twice before.

"It's a golden opportunity to get 10 points ahead, waiting for what Madrid do," Xavi said. "We failed against Almeria, and we can't make any more mistakes."

Another man they must cope without at pitch level is Xavi himself, as the coach serves a one-match touchline ban for an accumulation of yellow cards.

"I suppose I'll be in a box, where the game and the spaces can be seen better," said Xavi. "It doesn't change anything. The only thing is that I won't be able to be on the bench."

In May 2004, as Rafael Benitez and his Valencia team celebrated a LaLiga and UEFA Cup double, it was truly a bright period in the club's history.

Between 1999 and 2004, Los Che won two league titles and also reached two Champions League finals, losing both to Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, but it was an impressive achievement to be there in the first place, before beating Marseille 2-0 in the 2003-04 UEFA Cup final in Gothenburg.

It was not exactly all downhill from there either.

Granted, no further league titles have been forthcoming in the almost 19 years since, but in an era where the imposing pair of Barcelona and Real Madrid have only grown further, while Atletico Madrid became another formidable foe, that Valencia have had eight top-four finishes in that time is still impressive.

Two Copa del Rey wins in that time, including one as recently as 2018-19, have kept them in the conversation and from an outsider's perspective, it would have been reasonable to assume that one day, they would be back to threaten the big boys.

However, in recent seasons it has been harder and harder to imagine that scenario, with the club feeling like it was spinning its wheels, and this campaign could be one that some have seen coming for a long time.

A ninth-place finish last season looked better than it was, finishing closer to the relegation spots than the top seven in terms of points.

Valencia hosted Celta Vigo in the final game of the 2021-22 campaign, and secured a 2-0 win, but it was just their sixth victory at the Mestalla all season.

Prior to the game, an estimated 10,000 fans marched to the Avenida de Suecia outside the stadium in protest at owner Peter Lim and then president Anil Murthy.

The club sacked Murthy last May after audio was leaked of him threatening star midfielder Carlos Soler with bad press if he tried to leave at the end of the season. Soler ultimately sealed a move to Paris Saint-Germain.

As for Lim, he took over the ownership of Valencia in 2014, and fans have been largely unhappy with his leadership ever since.

The Singaporean former stockbroker had at least eased the debt the club had when he arrived, but the approach since then has been more about balancing the books and maintaining their LaLiga status rather than showing ambition to return them to their previous lofty position.

Since the 1987-88 season, Valencia have only had four bottom-half finishes in Spain's top-flight, with three of those coming since Lim's arrival almost nine years ago (11th in 2015-16, 12th in 2016-17 and 13th in 2020-21).

Two seasons ago, the 13th-placed finish was Valencia's joint third worst ever LaLiga season (also 13th in 1987-88), only finishing lower in 1982-83 (15th) and 1985-86 (16th).

Selling the likes of Soler, Ferran Torres and Goncalo Guedes in recent years without adequately replacing them has not helped, either with the performances of the team or the relationship with the fans.

And now, even that LaLiga status is in serious question.

Speaking to Stats Perform, former Valencia left-back and director of football Amedeo Carboni understands the fans' frustrations, believing a disconnect between the powers that be and the supporters has not helped.

"Valencia are not going well, you can see that in the table," the former Italy international said. "And it's been for some years, maybe not that low, but it has been now four or five years in which the club is not investing in the team, not investing enough money, so if the squad is not competitive, it's hard being high in the table.

"A lot of teams buy reinforcements, and if they don't start well in the winter market they always find something to help them. You just need to look at Sevilla, who were recently where Valencia are, and now they have risen a bit.

"Regrettably, it had started well [under Lim], then there were some changes that the people, the fans, didn’t understand, changing managers after a good season, managers that had won the Copa del Rey, or qualified for the Champions League.

"To tell the truth, we are outside and don't know what is happening in there, we can only judge what happens. The team is not going well and the people are not happy. There's no signings to [make them] dream.

"[A disconnect] is one part of it, because the fans don't play, the fans don't sign anyone. But having them against you is not a good thing. And this, regrettably, has worsened over time.

"There was a lot between the former president, Murthy and the fans... I think there was a lack of respect towards the club and the fans. They are Mediterranean fans, so hot fans, they like to be involved not only on Sunday, but every day throughout the year.

"If you think about the owner, how many years has he been in Valencia?... I think he has been [to a game] how many times? Five? Seven? No more. That tells a lot."

It seems crazy to think a team that has boasted stars like Santiago Canizares, Gaizka Mendieta, Claudio Lopez, Pablo Aimar, Roberto Ayala, David Villa and David Silva could be playing second tier football next season.

Valencia sit in the relegation zone after 23 games, having won just two of their last 15 league outings (D4 L9).

Gennaro Gattuso was appointed head coach ahead of the campaign but only lasted until late January as the team struggled for consistency under the Italian.

They are far from adrift though, sitting just a point behind Real Valladolid in 17th and just four behind Espanyol in 12th, while last Saturday saw them record a rare win against Real Sociedad in Ruben Baraja's first home game since replacing Gattuso as head coach.

The appointment of Baraja with Carlos Marchena as his assistant almost feels emblematic of the journey for Valencia over the last two decades.

Both were a part of the two title winning teams in 2002 and 2004, but simply appointing people who were there in the good times could seem like a token gesture to appease fans rather than a tactical masterstroke.

Carboni – who also played for the club during that successful period – believes having two figures like his former team-mates in charge could help to focus minds though in what will be a tough period for Los Che.

"Now, you need to be effective," he said. "If you play well, you have a better chance of winning, but when you are in a situation like Valencia, the result is fundamental. You only need to focus on the points. It doesn't matter if you draw or you win on the 95th minute, it is exactly the same. This is the situation Valencia is in.

"Probably [having] two ex-players who have lived it and know what the players are thinking in these moments, they will know how to speak to them, because in these kind of situations, the psychological factor is much bigger than the physical, so if you can recover the focus, the physical side will come as a consequence."

He also understands the desire of Baraja and Marchena to return despite the difficult circumstances, adding: "You always have that dream, knowing that Valencia is an historical team of LaLiga, when you have played there and become a coach, it is normal to want to come back to your club that brought you so much happiness."

Valencia travel to Barcelona on Sunday, a fixture once highly-anticipated as a battle between two of the top teams in Spain.

This time, the visitors will arrive more in hope than expectation, and if they are unable to get their act together in the remaining 15 games, it may not even be a fixture next season.

Valencia have hired club great Ruben Baraja as their new head coach following the dismissal of Gennaro Gattuso.

Former Milan and Napoli boss Gattuso was removed from his post on January 30 after presiding over just 18 LaLiga games with embattled Los Che.

Gattuso left with Valencia – who finished ninth last term – 14th in the table, and three successive defeats since under the guidance of regular caretaker coach Voro have seen them slide into the relegation zone.

Traditionally one of Spain's biggest clubs, Valencia are now potentially facing the prospect of dropping out of LaLiga for the first time since the 1980s – their single campaign in the Segunda during the 1986-87 season is the only year they have spent outside the top-flight since the early 1930s.

Valencia had briefly looked to be enjoying a resurgence under Marcelino Garcia Toral, who led them to Copa del Rey success and back-to-back fourth-place finishes between July 2017 and September 2019.

But he and sporting director Mateu Alemany, now in charge of transfers at Barcelona, were both sacked for criticising the club's deeply unpopular owner Peter Lim.

Baraja will be the fifth permanent head coach since Marcelino's exit three and a half years ago.

The former Spain international was a key part of the Valencia team during one of the most successful periods in their history.

He helped them to LaLiga success in 2001-02 and 2003-04, a UEFA Cup in 2003-04, the 2004 European Super Cup and the Copa del Rey in 2007-08. He retired in 2010 after a decade at the club.

Baraja returned to Valencia three years later as a youth coach and also worked with the reserves before setting out on his own, but he has had minimal success as a head coach.

All of his previous jobs have been in the Segunda, and with no team has he lasted more than a year.

He almost led Sporting Gijon to LaLiga during the 2017-18 campaign, only to fall during the play-offs – he left a few months later after presiding over only three wins in 14 games at the start of the 2018-19 season.

Baraja was most recently in charge of Real Zaragoza in 2020 but was sacked after less than three months at the helm.

He returns to Valencia amid the backdrop of fan protests against Lim, with thousands of supporters staging a demonstration prior to Saturday's home defeat to Athletic Bilbao.

Lim rescued Valencia from financial ruin and administration, but supporters feel he has mismanaged the club for much of his nearly nine years as steward.

Valencia head coach Salvador Gonzalez 'Voro' has pleaded with the struggling club's fans to express their "Valencianism" to help the team.

Thousands of supporters staged a protest prior to Saturday's home game with Athletic Bilbao aimed at owner Peter Lim, with Valencia in the LaLiga relegation zone.

A 2-1 defeat to Athletic meant Los Che have now picked up just one point from their past seven league games and lost four in a row.

Despite the defeat, Voro was pleased with the performance of his side, who took the lead through Samu Castillejo, only for goals from Nico Williams and Oihan Sancet to turn things around at the Mestalla.

Voro said: "The team has been closer to being able to win and has been focused except on some detail that Athletic has taken advantage of.

"The attitude has been very good and it's unfair, but football is like that. It's a sad day, but improvements have been seen and you have to compete equally to be able to win games."

When asked about the fan protests, Voro added: "The situation is very complicated from a sporting perspective. 

"We understand that the public may be upset, I respect that everyone expresses their Valencianism in the way they consider, but we need the people.

"We are in a very difficult situation, and I think that today there are green shoots. It has not given us a win, but we have lost due to specific actions, football has these things."

Valencia striker Hugo Duro understands the fans' frustration.

"It is normal for the fans to be this demanding when they are in this situation, I would be too," he said after the Athletic game. "We've had 37,000 people come out here tonight and we cannot ask for more.

"They support however they can and the rest is down to us."

Valencia defender Gabriel Paulista has apologised for his horrendous challenge on Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior and insists "it was never my intention to harm him".

Gabriel was issued a straight red card for a wild kick on Vinicius in the 72nd minute of Valencia's 2-0 loss at Santiago Bernabeu on Thursday.

Vinicius, who had earlier doubled his side's lead after Marco Asensio had opened the scoring, was sent flying to the ground and a scuffle between both sets of players ensued.

Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois later called for his team-mate to be better protected by officials, having been on the end of a number of bad tackles this season.

Former Arsenal defender Gabriel is now facing a two-game LaLiga ban after the Spanish Football Federation's disciplinary committee added another game to his suspension.

The 32-year-old, who will miss games against Girona and Athletic Bilbao, took to social media on Friday to apologise to Vinicius.

"I accept the criticism and the red card," Gabriel posted. "I am a physical player, but also a noble one. I respect Vinicius and it was never my intention to harm him. 

"We are struggling a lot in this great club, going through a difficult period and emotions are running high.

"Sometimes it is impossible to control one's emotions. I lost control and I sincerely ask for forgiveness."

Vinicius was able to play the remainder of the match and took part in training on Friday ahead of Madrid's league meeting with Real Mallorca.

The Brazil international has been fouled 103 times this season, which is at least 19 more than any other player across Europe's top five leagues in all competitions.

Forty-six of those fouls have been in the final third – exactly double the number of Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar, who is the next highest on the list.

Carlo Ancelotti is optimistic Karim Benzema will not miss Sunday's trip to Real Mallorca despite limping out of Real Madrid's win against Valencia, but defender Eder Militao's injury is of greater concern.

Benzema teed up second-half goals for Marco Asensio and Vinicius Junior on Thursday, as Madrid moved to within five points of LaLiga leaders Barcelona with a 2-0 victory over Los Che.

However, the reigning Ballon d'Or holder limped out of the contest with an apparent thigh problem on the hour mark, after Militao had been replaced in the first half for what looked to be a groin issue.

While Ancelotti is hopeful of having his star striker available for Madrid's final league game before their Club World Cup campaign, Militao's initial prognosis is less encouraging.

Asked about the condition of the duo after Thursday's win, Ancelotti said: "Karim seems like a slight problem and Militao will not be fit on Sunday."

Benzema has been involved in 11 goals in his last 12 appearances for Madrid in all competitions, having only registered five goal contributions in his first nine matches this season.

After Sunday's trip to Mallorca, Madrid jet off to Morocco for the Club World Cup, where they will meet either the Seattle Sounders or Al Ahly in a semi-final tie next Wednesday.

Madrid's involvement in that competition means there will be no respite during a congested period, but Ancelotti is pleased with how Los Blancos have coped in recent weeks.

"January was a hard month after the World Cup and we've turned out well. We're going to see in February. It doesn't stop here," Ancelotti said.

"Luckily, they have put the game on Sunday for both us [and Barcelona]. Imagine they had put ours on Saturday night!"

Thibaut Courtois declared Vinicius Jr needs to be protected after he was on the receiving end of a horrendous challenge from Gabriel Paulista on Thursday.

The Brazilian defender kicked out at his compatriot, who had doubled Real Madrid's lead against Valencia to mark his 200th club appearance in style.

Los Blancos emerged 2-0 victors at Santiago Bernabeu to edge closer to leaders Barcelona, yet it was the challenge on Vinicius that left the biggest impression.

Courtois questioned why Vinicius was subject to such treatment, but praised the referee for taking the appropriate action.

"I don't know why he was kicked in that way, we need to protect him," he told LaLigaTV.

"He's a player who dribbles a lot, tries to go past defenders and defenders don't like it. It's the way he is as a player.

"We need him to be that way, we need him to be like that against defenders.

"He receives a lot of kicks and tonight I'm just happy the referee acted and had the bravery to give the red card. The ball is not there, there's no intent to get the ball.

"Even if it was one of us had made that challenge then I would have said yes, it has to be a red card."

Vinicius Junior marked his 200th Real Madrid appearance in style with the second goal in a 2-0 win against Valencia.

The Brazilian burst into space from inside his own half to double Los Blancos' lead, just 90 seconds after Marco Asensio's stunning strike opened the scoring at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Madrid, having failed to score on Sunday against Real Sociedad, encountered similar frustration in the first half and saw an Antonio Rudiger header disallowed juts before half-time.

That did not deter Carlo Ancelotti's side, who responded in style in a second period where Valencia finished with 10 men after Gabriel Paulista's dismissal.

It took just three minutes for Madrid to carve through Valencia's defence, Luka Modric feeding a pass through to Asensio but a fine save from the boot of Giorgi Mamardashvili kept him at bay.

Asensio had another chance after Karim Benzema's deft backheel into his path inside the area but Gabriel was on hand with an outstanding block to deflect the strike safely over the crossbar.

Los Blancos thought they had found their breakthrough on the brink of half-time, Rudiger flicking a header in off the right-hand post, but referee Javier Alberola Rojas chalked the effort off for a foul from Benzema on Yunus Musah as Modric's corner was whipped in.

Six minutes after the restart, the hosts finally broke the deadlock. It was third-time lucky for Asensio, who picked up possession outside the box and unleashed a ferocious left-footed drive that left Mamardashvili stranded.

The lead was doubled just 90 seconds later, Vinicius bursting into space down the left and driving into the area and slotting a comfortable finish beneath the Valencia stopper.

Valencia's problems got worse when Gabriel was given his marching orders for a horrendous hack on compatriot Vinicius, who was fortunate to avoid injury.

Gennaro Gattuso's Valencia tenure lasted just 18 LaLiga matches as the club announced his departure on Monday.

The former Milan and Napoli coach was appointed ahead of the 2022-23 season after a year out of the game.

But Gattuso has been unable to inspire Valencia, who finished ninth last term.

Gattuso leaves the club in 14th place, winless in four outings since the World Cup break and just a point above the bottom three – albeit with a game in hand over the other sides in the bottom half.

Following Sunday's last-gasp defeat to Real Valladolid – his final match at the helm – Gattuso addressed supporters and told them Valencia's poor results were his responsibility.

The 45-year-old also angrily confronted the assembled media a day before Valencia announced his exit.

"Valencia CF announce that this Monday, January 30th, the club and the first team coach, Gennaro Gattuso, have decided by mutual agreement to end the contractual relationship between the two parties," a statement read.

"The club wish to thank Gattuso for his commitment and work during his time in charge and wish him the best of luck for the future.

"The team will return to training this Tuesday, January 31st, under 'Voro' Gonzalez."

Voro, who is set to take charge of the team at Real Madrid on Thursday, is in his seventh spell as interim coach, having also led Los Che on a permanent basis in the second half of the 2016-17 campaign.

Real Madrid and bitter rivals Atletico Madrid will duel for a place in the Copa del Rey semi-finals after being paired in the last eight.

Los Blancos survived a scare on Thursday as they came from 2-0 down at Villarreal to win 3-2 thanks to goals from Vinicius Junior, Eder Militao and Dani Ceballos.

It ensured Carlo Ancelotti's team bounced back from losing to Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana final four days earlier.

Nevertheless, their route does not get any easier with Thursday's draw pitting them against city rivals Atletico at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Diego Simeone's side beat Levante 2-0 in Valencia on Wednesday, with Alvaro Morata and Marcos Llorente scoring in the second half.

It will be the first time Atletico and Madrid have tussled in the Copa since January 2015, when the former emerged 4-2 aggregate winners over two legs.

The competition remains on track for a Clasico final, though Barca will also have to get past tricky opponents to reach the last four.

Real Sociedad, who have won each of their past eight games in all competitions and are third in LaLiga, will visit Camp Nou.

La Real have a dreadful record away to Barcelona, however, last winning there in LaLiga way back in 1991.

The other two quarter-finals are also all-LaLiga affairs.

Last season's beaten finalists Valencia will meet Athletic Bilbao at the Mestalla Stadium, while Osasuna – conquerors of defending champions Real Betis – play host to a Sevilla side who are battling relegation in the league.

The matches are scheduled across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week.

Copa del Rey quarter-final draw in full:

Barcelona v Real Sociedad

Osasuna v Sevilla

Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid

Valencia v Athletic Bilbao

Carlo Ancelotti conceded Real Madrid were far from their best against Valencia, though that did not stop Los Blancos from reaching the Supercopa de Espana final.

Karim Benzema's first-half penalty seemingly had Los Blancos on course for victory after a dominant opening 45 minutes, but Samuel Lino equalised immediately after the interval for a resurgent Valencia.

Giorgi Mamardashvili kept Gennaro Gattuso's side in the semi-final clash in Riyadh with a series of extra-time stops, though Madrid prevailed on penalties after Eray Comert and Jose Gaya failed to convert.

Ancelotti acknowledged Madrid's shortcomings after the 4-3 shoot-out victory following an underwhelming 1-1 draw, suggesting the World Cup break may have played its part in a lack of sharpness.

The Madrid head coach told reporters: "It hasn't been a physical problem because in extra time we've done better than them. We're not at the top but it's normal.

"There are players who started a little while after the World Cup. We've put players who were on the limit like [Ferland] Mendy and [Dani] Carvajal.

"We wanted to reach the final and that's what we've done. It's a different moment from last year but I think we're going to fight hard to win the Super Cup."

Benzema, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos all converted their spot-kicks, with Ancelotti preferring to go with experience for his first three takers before Marco Asensio found the net with Madrid's fourth penalty.

"I put the three players with the most experience, the best," he added. "The last one was Vinicius [Junior] and it is better that he did not shoot."

The victory did seemingly come at a cost, though, as Eduardo Camavinga, Eder Militao and Lucas Vazquez all sustained injuries.

"Camavinga has had a blow to the knee, Militao is dizzy and is fine," Ancelotti continued. "Lucas has a sprain, that is the most serious. I don't know if he will be in Sunday's game."

LaLiga leaders Barcelona, who Madrid trail by three points, or Real Betis await in Sunday's final after the second semi-final in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.

Carlo Ancelotti conceded Real Madrid were far from their best against Valencia, though that did not stop Los Blancos from reaching the Supercopa de Espana final.

Karim Benzema's first-half penalty seemingly had Los Blancos on course for victory after a dominant opening 45 minutes, but Samuel Lino equalised immediately after the interval for a resurgent Valencia.

Giorgi Mamardashvili kept Gennaro Gattuso's side in the semi-final clash in Riyadh with a series of extra-time stops, though Madrid prevailed on penalties after Eray Comert and Jose Gaya failed to convert.

Ancelotti acknowledged Madrid's shortcomings after the 4-3 shoot-out victory following an underwhelming 1-1 draw, suggesting the World Cup break may have played its part in a lack of sharpness.

The Madrid head coach told reporters: "It hasn't been a physical problem because in extra time we've done better than them. We're not at the top but it's normal.

"There are players who started a little while after the World Cup. We've put players who were on the limit like [Ferland] Mendy and [Dani] Carvajal.

"We wanted to reach the final and that's what we've done. It's a different moment from last year but I think we're going to fight hard to win the Super Cup."

Benzema, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos all converted their spot-kicks, with Ancelotti preferring to go with experience for his first three takers before Marco Asensio found the net with Madrid's fourth penalty.

"I put the three players with the most experience, the best," he added. "The last one was Vinicius [Junior] and it is better that he did not shoot."

The victory did seemingly come at a cost, though, as Eduardo Camavinga, Eder Militao and Lucas Vazquez all sustained injuries.

"Camavinga has had a blow to the knee, Militao is dizzy and is fine," Ancelotti continued. "Lucas has a sprain, that is the most serious. I don't know if he will be in Sunday's game."

LaLiga leaders Barcelona, who Madrid trail by three points, or Real Betis await in Sunday's final after the second semi-final in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.

Real Madrid edged into the Supercopa de Espana final with a 4-3 penalty shoot-out victory over Valencia following an unconvincing 1-1 draw after extra time on Wednesday.

Carlo Ancelotti's side were not at their best in Riyadh, but Eray Comert – who conceded the penalty for Benzema's first-half opener – and Jose Gaya both faltered from 12 yards.

Samuel Lino's 46th-minute strike had earlier pulled Valencia level before Giorgi Mamardashvili made a trio of fine extra-time saves, but Comert blasted over and Thibaut Courtois denied Gaya to send Madrid through.

Los Blancos will aim for their third Supercopa in the last four seasons on Sunday when they face the winners of Thursday's semi-final between LaLiga leaders Barcelona and Real Betis.