Mbappé scores again as Madrid beats Valencia in La Liga. Girona's Stuani fails late penalty test

MADRID (AP) — Kylian Mbappé struck again as Real Madrid beat Valencia 2-0 on Sunday to win its seventh game in a row in the Spanish league and move back within a point of leader Barcelona.

Mbappé scored from close range early in second-half stoppage time for his ninth goal in six games to seal Madrid's win. Álvaro Carreras had put Madrid ahead in the 65th with his second goal with the club.

“We’re running out of superlatives to describe Kylian,” Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa said.

Madrid was playing without Vinícius Júnior (yellow card suspension) and Jude Bellingham (left hamstring injury).

“We controlled the game well, (goalkeeper Thibaut) Courtois didn’t have to make any saves, and it was a solid performance from the players,” Arbeloa said.

Madrid's last defeat in the league was in December at home to Celta Vigo.

Barcelona defeated Mallorca 3-0 at home on Saturday for its 17th win in its last 18 games in all competitions.

Valencia fans jeered the team after the final whistle. It's in 17th place, just outside the relegation zone.

Fifth-place Real Betis won 1-0 at third-place Atletico Madrid in a game played three days after it was routed 5-0 by Atletico at home in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey.

Antony netted Betis' winner on Sunday to give the team its second straight league win. Diego Simeone's Atletico has won only one of its last three matches in all competitions.

Sevilla and Girona drew 1-1 in a game that was moved to Sunday because of bad weather, with Girona striker Cristhian Stuani entering the match just to take a late penalty kick and failing to convert it.

The match was scheduled to be played on Saturday but the league put it back a day because of a severe storm alert in the southern city of Seville.

Girona took the lead two minutes into the match with Thomas Lemar's goal. The hosts eventually equalized with a long-range shot into the top corner by Kike Salas two minutes into stoppage time.

Six minutes later Girona missed a chance to get back in front when Stuani was denied from the penalty spot.

Girona coach Míchel put Stuani into the match to take the penalty after it was awarded, and the veteran Uruguayan sent a low shot that was saved by Sevilla goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos.

“If I have to take a chance on someone taking a penalty, it will always be Stuani,” Míchel said.

Spanish media said Stuani hadn't failed with a penalty kick in a league game in three years.

The result left Girona in 12th place, one point ahead of 13th-place Sevilla. Girona is winless in three straight league matches.

Rayo Vallecano’s home match against Oviedo on Saturday was postponed on short notice because of safety concerns over the field at Vallecas Stadium.

Athletic Bilbao beat 10-man Levante 4-2 in a match with four goals scored after the 80th minute.

Athletic had a two-goal lead at halftime but Levante pulled closer in the 81st before the hosts made it 3-1 in the 86th. Levante scored again four minutes into stoppage time, and Athletic extended the lead in the ninth minute of added time.

Levante, second-to-last in the standings, played a man down from the 17th as Alan Matturro was sent off with a straight red card.

Athletic, in 10th place, hadn't won in six straight league games with its last victory over Atletico Madrid in December.

Getafe, in 11th, ended a nine-game winless streak across all competitions by winning 2-0 at 14th-place Alaves.

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Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, centre, and Valencia's Eray Comert challenge for the ball during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Valencia and Real Madrid in Valencia, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Macia)

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, right, and Valencia's Eray Comert challenge for the ball during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Valencia and Real Madrid in Valencia, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Macia)

Real Madrid's Alvaro Carreras, left, celebrates with Dean Huijsen, centre and Kylian Mbappe after scoring the opening goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Valencia and Real Madrid in Valencia, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Macia)

Real Madrid's Alvaro Carreras celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Valencia and Real Madrid in Valencia, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Macia)

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe reacts during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Valencia and Real Madrid in Valencia, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Macia)

CHICAGO (AP) — Cubs starter Jameson Taillon thinks he'll end up on the injured list after he left Chicago's 2-1, 10-inning loss to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday night with a strained left hamstring.

Taillon walked Matt Chapman to lead off the second with Chicago trailing 1-0. Then, the Cubs training staff and manager Craig Counsell came to the mound to talk to the right-hander. After a brief discussion, Taillon walked to the dugout and was replaced by righty Javier Assad, who was recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Saturday.

“I don't think it's crazy,” said Taillon, who'll have an MRI on Monday. “Like, I'm walking around and moving around. Obviously, it will be an IL stint, but hopefully we can keep the arm conditioned and moving around. I don't think it's surgical or anything like that.”

Taillon said he first felt discomfort in the hamstring after throwing an inside changeup to Chapman that made the count 2-2 in the at-bat.

“And then kind of in-between pitches, I was kind of trying to weigh whether I should throw another pitch or not, then threw the 3-2 pitch and kind of felt it a little more,” Taillon said. “Nothing I've ever felt. Unfortunately, just kind of one pitch did it.”

Taillon allowed a run in the first inning Sunday on a walk followed by two singles, pushing his ERA to 5.19. He entered the game 2-5 and had lost four straight decisions over his previous five starts.

Assad followed with 6 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing only one hit, along with a walk and a hit batter. He retired the final 12 Giants hitters he faced.

San Francisco won it in the 10th when Chapman singled in automatic runner Jonah Cox. The Giants won for the fourth time in their last five games and handed Chicago its 20th loss in 27.

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Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon throws against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)