Never before had Carlo Ancelotti made a triple substitution at half-time for Real Madrid. The paralysis and crushing of his team pushed him to radical and unprecedented measures. His walk through the locker room at halftime was also shorter than usual. A few minutes before the restart, he was already on the bench along with the three players he was going to bring on: Joselu, Fran García and Brahim for Nacho, Rodrygo and Mendy. “I was angry with myself,” said the Italian after a first half “to forget, with few ideas and energy”, assuming all the responsibility for such a poor performance by Madrid, turned around in the 99th minute after a lot of trouble with the VAR.
3
Arrizabalaga, Ferland Mendy (Fran Garcia, min. 45), Nacho (Brahim Diaz, min. 45), Dani Carvajal, Rüdiger, Aurelien Tchouameni, Federico Valverde (Dani Ceballos, min. 70), Jude Bellingham, Kroos (Camavinga, min. . 82), Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo (Joselu, min. 45)
2
Luis Maximiano, Kaiky, Edgar González, Marc Pubill, Chumi, Akieme, Sergio Arribas (Lazaro, min. 77), Lucas Robertone (Gonzalo Melero, min. 85), Dion Lopy, Ramazani (Embarba, min. 77) and Marezi
Goals 0-1 min. 1: Ramazani. 0-2 min. 43: Edgar González. 1-2 min. 57: Jude Bellingham. 2-2 min. 67: Vinicius Junior. 3-2 min. 99: Dani Carvajal.
Referee Francisco José Hernández Maeso
Yellow cards Ramazani (min. 52), Dion Lopy (min. 63), Pozo (min. 74), Edgar González (min. 83), Camavinga (min. 97), Dani Carvajal (min. 100) and Luis Suárez (min. 101)
Before the hangover got caught up in the referee controversy, the white coach tried to explain his team’s bad start. “I made a mistake in the lineup,” he assumed. “The evaluation we made of yesterday’s training [por este sábado] was wrong. The team was tired. Some have paid a lot for the extra time against Atlético. Footballers want to play and they tell you that they are fine, but then we must evaluate. And we didn’t do it well,” Carletto insisted. In the eleven, some rotation could be expected taking into account that the bottom team was in front and the physical wear and tear of the previous week, but the initial bet was on the entire front page, plus Kepa, the goalkeeper chosen (and announced in advance) within the turnism under sticks. Two shots on goal, two goals and zero saves from the Basque goalkeeper.
Still at 0-1, the Italian had already sat on the bench to meet in a crisis cabinet with his advisors. “By the 30th minute, he was already thinking about changes. The only thing he could do was bring in fresh players. With the character and the fans, we have come back,” Ancelotti said, relieved after an afternoon that started with general drowsiness, continued with some whistles from the stands, and ended with a lot of agitation and a good dose of VAR.
“I understand Almería’s anger because they have played a lot, but the three decisions are correct,” said the Reggiolo coach. In the second half, referee Francisco Hernández Maeso went to the VAR monitor three times, alerted by Hernández Hernández, to make three decisions that favored Real Madrid. He whistled the penalty to make it 1-2 due to Kaiky’s handball. Almería claimed a previous foul, an issue that the two referees did not debate, according to the audios revealed at the end of the day (see video above).
Then he annulled what would have been Arribas’ 1-3 by watching Diop’s previous blow to Bellingham in the face on television. The referee was on the field very close to the action (see video above).
And he conceded Vinicius’ 2-2, which he had previously invalidated by handball because, seeing the images, he interpreted – just like Hernández Hernández from Las Rozas – that he finished with his shoulder, a part of the legal body (see video above).
“They have stolen”
“Someone has decided that we couldn’t win here,” Marc Pubil denounced on DAZN. “We leave with the feeling that we have been robbed,” exclaimed Gonzalo Melero. His coach, Gaizka Garitano, sent off in stoppage time for protesting, bit his tongue as much as he could. “I have nothing to say. My opinion? You have already seen the game. Then they punish me if I speak,” he responded like a spring, in line with other colleagues who have also refused to comment on the referee’s performance for fear of punishment. His appearance was monothematic around the referee. Until after several attempts, he blurted out almost through his teeth: “This isn’t the first time this has happened to me here.”
Almería began the afternoon scoring the club’s earliest goal in the history of the League (38 seconds), but left the Bernabéu equaling the second-worst streak of a team without winning in the League: 24 games (eight draws and 16 losses ), like Sporting between 1997 and 1998 (four draws and 20 defeats).
Bellingham, sanctioned against Las Palmas
After all the hustle and bustle, the afternoon produced another piece of data that caused concern on the local side: 10 goals against in the last 12 days (three against Atlético in the Super Cup semi-final, one against Barcelona in the final, four the rojiblancos in the Cup and two from Almería this Sunday). If Madrid had stood out in anything before the Super Cup, it was in its defensive numbers. Only 11 goals received in the League, which placed him with the best figures in half a century. However, the excursion to Saudi Arabia has opened the floodgates: “It is a fact that we must consider,” Ancelotti simply said.
For next Saturday’s duel in Las Palmas, the Italian will not have Jude Bellingham, who received his fifth yellow card for confronting the Almería bench after 3-2. Before him he had debuted as a penalty taker, the fifth so far this year after Vinicius, Joselu, Rodrygo and Modric. He was left wanting a week ago in the Super Cup final (Vini threw him), but this time he grabbed the ball without room for debate with another teammate to hit it through the middle and with difficulties. There he started a controversial comeback after Ancelotti’s confessed errors.