Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger, centre, and Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham rejoice their victory on the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Alaves and Real Madrid on the Mendizorroza stadium in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, on December 21, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AP
With a late purpose after a lackluster efficiency, Real Madrid discovered its solution to victory and to the highest of the Spanish league standings.
Lucas Vázquez scored with a header in stoppage-time and Madrid pulled off a 1-0 win on the highway in opposition to Alaves to reclaim first place after Girona conceded a late equalizer in its 1-1 draw at Real Betis earlier on Thursday.
Madrid and Girona are tied on 45 factors however Madrid was forward on a tiebreaker. Defending champion Barcelona was third, seven factors off the lead. The Catalan membership edged last-place Almeria 3-2 at residence on Wednesday.
Madrid acquired the late win regardless of enjoying with 10 males from the 54th minute after central defender Nacho Fernández was despatched off with a straight crimson card for a tough foul.
“It was a complicated match, and with a player down everybody thought that maybe today we were going to lose,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti stated. “But this team finds energy out of nowhere. We held tough and in the end we got rewarded.”
Vázquez was left free inside the realm to attain the winner with a header after a well-placed corner-kick cross by Toni Kroos.
Alaves coach Luis García was furious by the bench after the purpose, kicking objects, throwing his jacket, screaming and even grabbing a employees member by the jacket and shoving him again to his seat.
“We can’t let Lucas finish by himself like that,” he stated afterward. “You can’t let the game slip away from you like that, against 10 men, in the final minutes.”
Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo, the leaders of Madrid’s assault this season, had been stored in examine throughout many of the match in a poor efficiency by Ancelotti’s crew at Mendizorroza Stadium. Neither crew was capable of create many important scoring possibilities.
Nacho was initially proven a yellow card after stepping on an opponent whereas going for the ball, however video evaluation referred to as the referee and it was decided the Madrid defender deserved a straight crimson card.
After Nacho was despatched off, Ancelotti was pressured to exchange Luka Modric with midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, who went into Nacho’s place in the midst of the protection.
Madrid has been enjoying with a squad depleted by accidents, particularly in protection. Last Sunday, David Alaba turned the third Madrid participant to tear an anterior cruciate knee ligament. Éder Militão and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois additionally sustained the identical kind of damage.
Antonio Rüdiger began alongside Nacho in protection on Thursday.
Forward Rodrygo needed to be helped off the sector with one other obvious damage in stoppage time, although Ancelotti later stated the Brazil ahead was simply drained.
Madrid has conceded solely 11 targets up to now this season, the very best mark amongst all Spanish league golf equipment. It is unbeaten in its final 17 video games in all competitions.
It was the third loss in a row for Alaves, which is sitting in sixteenth place, three factors clear from the relegation zone.
Madrid’s subsequent league recreation is at residence in opposition to Mallorca on Jan. 3. Alaves visits Real Sociedad on Jan. 2.
GIRONA’S SETBACK
Girona opened the scoring with a penalty kick transformed by Artem Dovbyk within the thirty ninth, however the hosts equalized with Germán Pezzella within the 88th after a free ball inside the realm.
It was solely the second time Girona didn’t win in its final 12 matches in all competitions. It had gained eight of its final 9 league matches, together with 4-2 at Barcelona two rounds in the past. A 3-0 loss to Madrid at residence in September is the crew’s lone defeat up to now this season.
It confronted one other robust take a look at in opposition to a Betis crew that’s preventing for European locations and is but to lose at residence within the league.
“This goal in the end is very upsetting, we thought we had it won,” Girona captain Aleix García stated. “But we have to value this point, they pressure a lot here. We have to maintain this dynamic and recharge our batteries for what’s ahead.”
Girona’s subsequent league match is one other tough one, in opposition to fourth-place Atletico Madrid at residence on Jan. 3.
SOCIEDAD HELD
Sixth-place Sociedad couldn’t handle greater than a 0-0 draw at relegation-threatened Cadiz.
The hosts sit in seventeenth place, simply outdoors the demotion zone, and haven’t gained in 16 consecutive matches in all competitions.
Sociedad is now winless in three straight video games.
MALLORCA RALLIES
Mallorca got here from behind to defeat Osasuna 3-1 at residence.
It was the second win within the final three league matches for Mallorca, which moved to 14th place.
Osasuna, sitting in thirteenth place, has gained solely one among its final eight league video games — 1-0 in opposition to Rayo Vallecano within the earlier spherical.
Source web site: www.thehindu.com
