A Dani Carvajal strike in the ninth-minute of stoppage time rescued Real Madrid, earning them a 3-2 comeback win at home against bottom side Almeria on Sunday in a frantic LaLiga tussle that was marked by VAR controversy.
2023/2024 La Liga
3-2
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
1' GOAL! Real Madrid 0-1 Almería (Ramazani)
24' CLOSE! Milovanovic’s shot wide out
32' No foul? Bellingham has been taken down in the box!
36' Kroos’s long shot inches wide!
43' GOAL! Real Madrid 0-2 Almería (Edgar González)
52' Yellow Card! Ramazani booked
57' Penalty Goal! Real Madrid 1-2 Almería (Jude Bellingham)
64' Foul! Sergio Arribas goal disallowed
67' GOAL! Real Madrid 2-2 Almería (Vinicius)
75' Yellow Card! Pozo booked
77' OFFSIDE! Bellingham’s goal disallowed
82' Vinícius misses a golden chance!
94' Joselu's header too straight
101' GOAL! Real Madrid 3-2 Almería (Carvajal)
Match Report
Lowly Almeria, who remained winless after 21 LaLiga matches this season, grabbed a two-goal lead with goals from Largie Ramazani and Edgar Gonzalez in the first half.
But Real Madrid reduced the deficit in the 56th minute with a Jude Bellingham penalty awarded for handball after a lengthy VAR check.
Almeria had a Sergio Arribas effort ruled out a little later after another long VAR check, with the referee Francisco Maeso ruling there was an infringement in the build-up when Almeria midfielder Dion Lopy caught Bellingham in the face.
Five minutes later, Maeso first ruled out Real Madrid's equaliser for a Vinicius Jr handball before awarding the goal after deciding it was off the shoulder following another VAR review.
Nine minutes into added time, as Real made a late push, Bellingham lifted a cross to Carvajal who tapped in the winner at the far post.
Real climbed to the top of the LaLiga standings on 51 points, two ahead Girona who host Sevilla later on Sunday.
Line-ups
Real Madrid XI: Kroos, Nacho, Carvajal, Rudiger, Kepa, F Mendy, Valverde, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Vinicius, Rodrygo, Jude Bellingham
Subs: Modric, Joselu, Vazquez, Ceballos, Brahim, Andriy Lunin, Fran García, Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Güler, Diego Piñeiro
Almería XI: Chumi, Edgar González, Sergio Akieme, Luís Maximiano, Lucas Robertone, Ramazani, Dion Lopy, Sergio Arribas, Marc Pubill, Kaiky, Marko Milovanovic
Subs: Diego Mariño, Fernando Martínez, Adrián Embarba, Melero, Pozo, Luis Suárez, Álex Centelles, Lázaro, M. Šviderský, Marcos Peña, Paco Sanz