After the tunnel scuffle: Real Madrid's "wise" star steals the limelight on a heated night at Mestalla

Fans of both Real Madrid and Valencia showered the Royal club's star with praise for his role in yesterday's clash at the Mestalla, a game Los Merengues settled with three unanswered goals in La Liga.

According to the website "tribuna", citing journalist Rudra, French defender Ibrahima Konaté stepped into the altercation between the two halves and won over observers from both camps with how he handled a tense situation.

It all kicked off after Valencia's bench protested the free-kick given against Pablo Mavio, the one that led to Federico Valverde's opening goal.

Sporting director Braulio Vázquez squared up to the match officials. Several Real Madrid players waded in, among them Jude Bellingham, Antonio Rüdiger and Éder Militão.

Security staff eventually had to break things up. Allegations surfaced that Rüdiger struck one of the guards during the incident, though the referee's official report made no mention of the clashes involving the players.

Konaté arrived at Real Madrid from Liverpool on a free after his contract ran out at the end of last season, and he wasted no time cementing a place under José Mourinho.

His superb partnership alongside Dean Huijsen proved so effective that veterans Rüdiger and Militão found themselves frozen out of the starting line-up.