MADRID - Real Madrid head to Valencia on Saturday looking to strengthen their already solid grip atop the LaLiga table in the highly anticipated return of Carlo Ancelotti's side to a stadium where Brazil winger Vinicius Jr was racially abused last year.

It will be the first time Real and 23-year-old Vinicius have been back to Mestalla since May 2023, when racist slurs were allegedly hurled at the Brazilian, the 10th such episode against the player that LaLiga reported to prosecutors last season.