Off we go again.

Can Valencia stop Real Madrid tightening their grip in this title race?

Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid have gone 26 consecutive home games in La Liga without defeat.

That's a run of 21 wins and five draws.

There's a line in there about needing to turn your home into a fortress if you're to win titles but I just can't put my finger on it.

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Barcelona have already been held to a draw.

They grabbed a second-half lead through a Luuk de Jong header but a Gavri red card helped Granada get back into the game and they bagged a late equaliser.

Los Blancos move closer to a nice buffer at the top of the table.

Get yourself an orange slice and a cup of tea folks.

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One added minute at the end of the half.

Real Madrid deserve their lead. The penalty will be debated. Casemiro almost ran into the challenge rather than the challenge being thrust upon him.

But the home side have done enough here to merit the lead. They've gained more and more control.

Carlo Ancelotti with a double fist clench.

That's what it means.

Or maybe he heard Everton had won in the cup in extra-time. Or maybe not.

Casemiro goes down just inside the box. He's jinked his way through but in truth there's not much the Valencia man can do to get out of the way.

The referee points to the spot and I don't think he's going to overturn it at all.

Luka Modric with a touch of class.

The ball finds him 20 yards out. He shapes to shoot, shifts it, shapes again, shifts it again... eventually he lets a stunner off with the left foot and it hits the underneath of the bar.

Playground stuff here. The ball breaks to the edge of the box and Lucas Vazquez sets to smash it, only for his team-mate Luka Modric to run across him and block the strike with his shins.

In words screamed by many an under-10s coach, "PUT A NAME ON IT."

A rare Valencia attack and Helder Costa's cut back briefly looks like it will fall for Goncalo Guedes, only for the ball to be intercepted on the edge of the box.

Karim Benzema gets on it 35 yards out. A jink, a shoulder drop, it's on his right peg... curler... wide.

Casemiro heads over from six yards. He was stretching a bit but it's another chance.

Real are starting to ask questions now and Valencia you feel are settling into defensive mode.

A strike from Asensio gets Jasper Cillessen's attention and the keeper does well to turn the strike away.

Eder Militao into the book for a cynical foul. It was needless stuff as he retreated back after going up for a corner.

Karim Benzema has touched the ball just five times in this first half and none of those touches have been in the Valencia box.

Toni Kroos hits an arrow of a ball across the field to Lucas Vazquez, who tees up Asensio.... shoots from range... blocked.

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Barcelona were held to a draw at Granada, a game heavily influenced by Gavri's red card when Barca led 1-0.

Vinicius Junior flicks a header wide from a decent position.

It's quite even so far but a pattern of Madrid pressure is slowly developing.

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Goncalo Guedes has a daisy cutter from range which has Thibaut Courtois diving to his left. He holds it well.

Guedes has looked the sharpest man on the pitch to me so far.