Real Madrid experienced a frustrating encounter on Sunday, falling 1-0 to Espanyol in a tightly contested LaLiga match. The defeat was compounded by controversial officiating decisions that left the Madrid camp seething, particularly following a disallowed goal by Vinícius Júnior and a questionable yellow card for Espanyol’s Carlos Romero.
The match, held at Espanyol's home ground, saw Real Madrid dominating in terms of offensive pressure, registering 20 shots on goal. Despite their efforts, Madrid could not find the back of the net. In the first half, Vinícius Júnior's strike was ruled out due to an alleged foul by Kylian Mbappé, a call that provoked anger among the Madrid players and coaching staff.
Espanyol's coach, Manolo González, defended the actions of his team, asserting that there was no intent to injure Mbappé during the play that led to the contentious decision. Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid's head coach, expressed his disbelief at the officiating, particularly regarding the lack of a red card for Romero after he fouled Mbappé.
"The decision the referee and the VAR took is inexplicable," – Carlo Ancelotti
Romero eventually scored the only goal of the match, sealing the victory for Espanyol. Ancelotti lamented his team's inability to capitalize on their dominance, stating, "We did some things well. We had control, above all in the second half, and we had chances. We had a goal ruled out, we hit the woodwork. We had 20 shots on goal."
The loss was particularly challenging for Real Madrid as they faced injury woes in their defensive lineup. Dani Carvajal and Éder Militão were already sidelined, while David Alaba had just returned from a long-term absence. Antonio Rüdiger was forced to withdraw with a muscular injury in the 15th minute.
"Rudiger has a muscular injury, now we'll have to assess it," – Carlo Ancelotti
With the transfer window closing soon on Monday, Ancelotti acknowledged the need for potential reinforcements. "We've talked about [signings], we've thought about it and we know what we have to do," he stated.
Despite the defeat, Real Madrid remains just one point ahead of their rivals Atlético Madrid at the top of the LaLiga table. Ancelotti recognized Espanyol's effective transitions and solid defense but reiterated the difficulty his team faced throughout the match.
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