In a thrilling LaLiga encounter marked by VAR controversy, Real Madrid secured a stunning 3-2 comeback victory against bottom-placed Almeria on Sunday, with Dani Carvajal netting a decisive strike in the ninth minute of stoppage time.
The match witnessed a dramatic turn of events as Almeria, yet to secure a win in 21 LaLiga matches this season, took an early two-goal lead. Largie Ramazani scored within the first minute, followed by a brilliant long-range volley from Edgar Gonzalez, leaving Real Madrid trailing in a lackluster first half without a single shot on target.
Expressing his frustration, Real manager Carlo Ancelotti made three changes at halftime, injecting new energy into his team. With Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham applying pressure, Real clawed back in the 56th minute with a Bellingham penalty, awarded after a contentious handball decision following a lengthy VAR review.
However, VAR continued to dominate the match, ruling out a Sergio Arribas effort for Almeria and overturning decisions on both sides. A Vinicius Jr goal was initially disallowed for handball but later granted after a VAR review, leading to heated protests from Almeria’s players and manager Asier Garitano.
Bellingham had a goal disallowed for a controversial offside, and as the game intensified, he nearly scored with an acrobatic scissor kick that narrowly missed the target. In the chaos of added time, Carvajal emerged as the hero, tapping in a cross from Bellingham to secure Real Madrid’s comeback win.
The contentious decisions left Almeria’s Gonzalo Melero expressing his frustration, stating, “Today we were robbed… What happened today went beyond all limits, it was unbelievable.” In contrast, Real Madrid defender Carvajal defended the decisions, urging calm reflection on the plays.
The match’s late drama, including a red card for Almeria’s manager Garitano, added to the intensity, leaving both sets of fans and players with mixed emotions. The victory propelled Real Madrid to the top of the LaLiga standings with 51 points, two ahead of Girona.
