Militao saves the tribute to Gento
A Brazilian goal in discount time allows Real Madrid to add a point against Elche
MADRID, 23 One. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid drew this Sunday against Elche (2-2) at the Santiago Bernabéu, on matchday twenty-two of LaLiga Santander, a duel in which goals from Luka Modric and Éder Militao, the latter in the discount, neutralized the 0-2 of the ilicitanos and left the team one step away from a comeback with which to pay tribute to the late Paco Gento.
With Edgar Badía frustrating White’s chances in the first half, Benzema didn’t take advantage of a penalty after half an hour either, and Lucas Boyé didn’t forgive just before half-time. Pere Milla seemed to end the duel in the 76th, but the white team once again exhibited their competitive gene to rescue a point to stay just four points above Sevilla.
In the green that saw him run so many times, a giant shirt with his eternal ’11’ and his 24 trophies conquered in white presided over the heartfelt memory of ‘the Cantabrian Galerna’, although it was another wind, from the Levante, that blew with strength for the Madrid venue crying out for revenge for the painful elimination in the Cup -with a comeback by Carlo Ancelotti’s men in extra time (1-2)-.
And that Vinícius threatened in the first minutes with a shot that Edgar Badía managed to catch, the great protagonist of the first 45 minutes. The goalkeeper of the Elche team showed off in Chamartín, where before the half hour mark he also stopped a point-blank shot from Benzema and another from Casemiro.
The problems accumulated for Jaime Ramos, this Sunday on the franjiverde bench due to Francisco’s positive for coronavirus and the sanction of Ortega -second coach-; Tete Morente’s injury was also added to the Whites’ arreón in the 24th minute, which forced him to retouch his plan and bring on Fidel.
The lace seemed to come in the 31st minute, when the referee pointed to the penalty spot after Palacios knocked down Vinícius; From eleven meters, Benzema looked for the top corner, but sent the ball into the clouds in his first missed penalty with the white shirt.
The ruling gave wings to Elche, who shortly after the break found a door in a center from the left by Fidel that Lucas Boyé, with a header, finished off at the far post to send it to the bottom of the net (min. 42). Badía still had to appear again to break the tie by deflecting a magnificent free-kick from Kroos.
As soon as the match resumed, De Burgos Bengoetxea scored the eleven meters again due to a foul by Diego González on Hazard, although the VAR was in charge of rectifying his decision. Just a few minutes later, Benzema left the pitch injured.
When Ancelotti’s men seemed to have the people of Elche on the ropes, locking them in their area, Lucas Boyé started a counterattack in which he sat down Militao and Alaba and served the perfect ball for Pere Milla to shoot cross against Courtois (min. 76).
Casemiro responded almost immediately with a shot to the crossbar and Luka Modric, after a handball from Pere Milla, managed to close the gap from the penalty spot (min. 82). Already in stoppage time, a header from Militao after a cross from Vinícius equalized and made people dream of a comeback (min.92).
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: REAL MADRID, 2 – ELCHE, 2 (0-1, at halftime).
–ALIGNMENTS.
REAL MADRID: Courtois; Lucas Vázquez (Valverde, min.79), Militao, Alaba, Mendy; Casemiro, Kroos (Rodrygo, min.64), Modric; Hazard (Isco, min.79), Benzema (Jovic, min.58) and Vinícius.
ELCHE: Badía; Palacios, Verdú, Diego González, Mojica; Pere Milla, Gumbau, Raúl Guti, Tete Morente (Fidel, min.24); Lucas Boyé and Lucas Pérez (Josan, min. 87).
–GOALS:
0-1, min.42: Lucas Boye.
0-2, min. 76: Pere Milla.
1-2, min.82: Modric, de penalty.
2-2, min.92: Militao.
–REFEREE: From Burgos Bengoetxea (C. Vasco). He admonished Militao (min.54) and Vinícius (min.75) by Real Madrid and Fidel (min.55) by Elche.
–Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. 39,796 spectators.
–OBSERVATIONS: Before the game, Real Madrid paid tribute to Paco Gento, a club legend who died this Tuesday at the age of 88. The 24 trophies won by the former Cantabrian soccer player and a giant shirt with the number ’11’ presided over the act. In addition, the Madrid captain, Marcelo, offered the Spanish Super Cup trophy to the Madrid fans.