The wild 3-3 draw at Rayo Vallecano provided plenty to talk about for Real Madrid. Coach Carlo Ancelotti praised his team, criticized the referee – and made a small declaration of war.
A 2-0 lead spectacularly turned into a 3-2, but in the end only one point was taken home: The emotions of the Whites were mixed after the rollercoaster ride at Rayo Vallecano – because the home side had also shown comeback qualities and Rodrygo’s spectacular opening goal for Madrid was equalized by Isi just eight minutes later. The final score was 3:3.
Foul on Vinicius? For Ancelotti it’s “very clear”
After such a showdown, there was of course a lot to talk about at Real. There was the fact that the guests let themselves be caught off guard after just four minutes and were already 0-2 behind after 36 minutes. There was Jude Bellingham, who contributed to the 2-2 draw and, with six goals and three assists in the last six league games, has finally found his pre-season form again. There was Rodrygo, who stood out with an assist and a goal to make it 3-2. And, as so often, there was a refereeing decision that caused quite a stir.
Because when all the goals of the evening had already been scored, suddenly substitute Vinicius Junior was also in the spotlight, who was brought down in the box and claimed a penalty. Because the culprit Mumin was actually involved in a tackle with Bellingham when he kicked, a chaotic scene in which the home side undoubtedly had a good deal of luck. Real coach Carlo Ancelotti had a clear opinion: “The penalty was very clear to me,” said the Italian.
Nevertheless, the assessment of the wild game was “positive overall”. “The game was practically lost, but we recovered it. After equalizing, we tried to win until the last minute,” said Ancelotti. The 65-year-old also saw his star-studded team develop: ‘There are draws like the ones against Mallorca or Las Palmas that are completely different from this one. We are on the right track, I’m satisfied.’
Bellingham back to his best
The reinvigorated Bellingham also got his laurels: “He’s a great player and very important. I don’t decide who the leader is, the team decides that. He’s doing a great job, has returned to his best form and is now bringing a lot to the team.”
The fact that “Los Blancos” missed the at least temporary jump to the top of La Liga didn’t seem to bother Ancelotti: After all, Real “played here last year and won the league. To win the league, you have to win games. If you can’t win a game, you shouldn’t lose it.”
The Whites will now travel to Qatar: on Wednesday they face CF Pachuca (Mexico) in the final of the Intercontinental Cup. To win that, Ancelotti knows, you can’t lose the game.