Real Madrid dwarfs itself in the Reale Arena before the Cup
A resounding 2-0 victory for a Real Sociedad that settles in the Champions League raises the doubts of an uncomfortable white team in its key week
MADRID, 3 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid was defeated (2-0) this Tuesday at the Reale Arena against Real Sociedad, a duel corresponding to matchday 33 of LaLiga Santander in which the Basques dwarfed the whites with an intense football proposal and goals from Kubo and Barrenetxea, against some meringues who are losing confidence before their key week with the Cup final and the Champions League semifinals against Manchester City.
If the defeat in Montilivi already seemed to be final, the resounding 2-0 at Reale, which allows Atlético to rise to second place if they win this Wednesday, puts the title on a platter for a FC Barcelona that could be champion on the next day . Those of Carlo Ancelotti were always disoriented without Benzema, Vinicius, or Camavinga.
The Italian coach introduced several novelties in his eleven that did not quite work, in another example of a lack of attitude and commitment with almost nothing at stake. Defensive errors and the expulsion of Carvajal in the second half condemned Real Madrid, who saw how an unrecognizable Militao gave Kubo the 1-0 lead after an untimely slip.
While Barrenetxea turned the final 2-0 in favor of the Basques, led by an omnipresent David Silva, in the final stretch. Imanol Alguacil’s team settles in fourth place, strengthening its status as the next Champions League team with 61 points, eight more than its closest rival, Villarreal.
Both teams started very well planted, with their very recognizable systems on the green and without taking too many risks. La Real began with high pressure, forcing Carlo Ancelotti’s men to speed up the movement of the ball. With the offensive passing lines closed by the ‘txuri-urdin’, it was Tchouameni who dared with a sharp ‘shoe’ from 30 meters that Remiro repelled without excessive problems.
Without the ability to braid fruitful plays of more than three passes in the offensive zone, the second clear chance for Real Madrid came from set pieces. Militao rose higher than anyone to head the cross thrown from the corner, but the goalkeeper from San Sebastian responded again with a prodigious tap.
The carioca, in another irregular match, avoided the local goal by deflecting a shot from the small area of Sorloth. It was just a warning before Zubimendi, just two meters from the goal line, sent the ball to the crossbar after finishing off a previous ‘combed’ with his toe. Those of Sheriff went into a boil and, in a ride led by the Norwegian striker, Silva did not make good the irregular shipment of the Scandinavian ‘giant’.
The push of the locals found its culmination in a possible penalty from Militao on Oyarzabal that neither Pulido Santana nor the VAR saw enough to point it out. From here, more inaccuracies than certainty, especially in a disoriented Real Madrid without Benzema or Vinicius, living only on glimpses of Rodrygo.
The first goal of the match came just after the start of the second half, after Sorloth pressed and demanded a Militao at the start who slipped and gave Courtois inaccurately. The Belgian did not arrive on time and the ex-madridista Kubo opened the can for the locals without opposition. The goal caught the whites unprepared, who only stretched after the break with an isolated action by Rodrygo.
The slope became even steeper for Ancelotti’s men when Carvajal, initially reprimanded for protesting, was sent off for a double yellow after a tackle on the San Sebastian side Aihen in which he first herded the ball. The Italian coach signed Lucas Vázquez for Kroos to reorganize and give vitality to an uncomfortable team, without much success, despite shouting from his technical zone.
Homegrown players Álvaro Rodríguez and Sergio Arribas did not improve the image of a Real Madrid team that, after a dangerous free kick by Mikel Oyarzabal, saw the miraculous victory slip away with the final 2-0 victory over Barrenetxea. The Basque attacker took advantage of a ball inside the area to beat Courtois with a hard, low shot that hit the post defended by the Belgian goalkeeper.
–RESULT: REAL SOCIEDAD, 2 – REAL MADRID, 0 (0-0, at halftime).
–EQUIPMENT.
REAL SOCIEDAD: Remiro; Gorosabel (Elustondo, min.63), Zubeldia (Pacheco, min.63), Le Normand, Aihen; Zubimendi, Merino, Silva (Illaramendi, min.89); Kubo (Barrentexea, min.74), Oyarzabal and Sorloth (Fernández, min.74).
REAL MADRID: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rüdiger, Nacho; Tchouaméni, Kroos (Lucas Vazquez, min.64), Ceballos; Rodrigo, Mariano (Alvaro Rodriguez, min.59) and Asensio (Arribas, min.82).
–GOALS.
1-0. Min. 47, Take Kubo.
2-0 Min. 85, Barrenetxea.
–REFEREE: Pulido Santana (C. Las Palmas). He admonished Gorosabel (min.23) at Real Sociedad; and he admonished Ceballos (min.79), Nacho (min.87) and Rodrygo (min.92), and sent off Carvajal (min.60) for a double yellow at Real Madrid.
–STADIUM: Reale Arena, 35,314 spectators.