Down and out for the entire match but managing to win it in the end, that’s Real Madrid for you. Late, late comebacks and resilience are in the club’s DNA. Time and again, the footballing world has seen Real Madrid comeback from the most impossible of situations.
Be it the 2014 Champions League final against Atletico Madrid, where Sergio Ramos equalized late in stoppage time to send the game into extra time where the Los Blancos won 4-1, or the memorable 2022 campaign where they came from behind to win 6-5 versus Manchester City, comebacks are in the soul of Real Madrid.
Almeria players furious after Real Madrid loss
Real Madrid’s resilience and their ability to make comebacks was on full display yesterday as they came from 2-0 goals down to beat Almeria 3-2, after Dani Carvajal scored in the 9th minute of stoppage time. Almeria, who haven’t won a single league game this season, took a shock 2-0 lead in the first half, before a Jude Bellingham penalty and a Vinicius goal put them back on level terms. Jude Bellingham was again involved in the match winning goal as he provided the assist for Dani Carvajal to score the winner.
However, it was the VAR decisions made throughout the match that garnered more attention than the match itself. Almeria had two decisions go against them, first which cancelled out a goal from Sergio Arribas as there was an infringement in the build-up when Jude Bellingham was caught in the face by Dion Lopy. The second one was the goal from Vinicius which was initially not awarded after a VAR check but after another long VAR check, the third of the match, the goal was awarded as it was deemed to have come off his shoulder and not his arm.
Almeria player Melero came out after the match and said that they were “robbed” of a victory at the Bernabeu. He said, “It pains me to say it, but there’s no other way to take it. And that’s not the first this year. What happened today went beyond all limits, it was unbelievable. I feel that we’ve been robbed.”
Almeria’s Marc Pubill also criticized the VAR decisions as he said, “I think that someone decided that we weren’t allowed to win here at Bernabéu today, and that’s what happened. [I have] nothing more to say.”
Carlo Ancelotti and Dani Carvajal talk on ref decision during Real Madrid vs Almeria
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti who recently signed a contract extension with Real Madrid, said that although he acknowledged the reaction from Almeria, justice was done as he deemed the VAR decisions to be correct.
“All three decisions were fairly clear. I have no problem. I understand Almería’s anger with the VAR decisions, but I think they were all well decided,” he said in a press conference after the game.
Real Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal was in tune with his manager as well, believing the VAR decisions to be correct.
“If Melero watches the plays calmly, he will surely realise that they are correctly refereed,” said the right back. He also applauded the home fans by saying, “After the break we came out to go for it, and with our fans and performance, we did it. I said to my teammates at halftime that anything could happen until the last minute, and it did. Thanks to our fans who carried us up to the sky.”
Almeria, on the other hand, refused to put out a match report on their socials as they believed that the result was already “clear”.
What do you think of the VAR decisions? Should the goal from Vinicius have stood? Let us know in the comments below!
