It was not easy, but Real Madrid earned three golden points in LaLiga against Leganés (3-2), who dreamed of the three points throughout the match. Three well-deserved points for Carlo Ancelotti‘s team in a match that left some doubts about the Whites’ play and some controversy on the pitch. For example, the penalty from Óscar to Arda Güler and Tapia’s foul. The reaction of the pepineros came in the space of six minutes, just before half-time, when they turned the scoreboard around. The merengue victory came with an early goal from Bellingham at the start of the second half and Mbappé sealing the 3-2 win.
Real Madrid beat Leganés in a match they did not control
This Saturday’s game began with Atletico Madrid stumbling to a draw against Espanyol, giving Real Madrid the opportunity to increase their lead to seven points over their closest pursuers in the standings. Leganés, for their part, are looking to confirm their growth against the big teams in the league, especially having already beaten FC Barcelona and Atletico.
Ancelotti’s side were coming into the game on the back of a 1-2 win against Villarreal on the last matchday before the break and after qualifying for the next round of the Champions League, eliminating the rojiblancos, their rivals in the capital. The Whites returned to the field with several players out and were without Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy, Dani Ceballos, Dani Carvajal and Thibaut Courtois, the latter joining them due to a knee injury. In addition, for this match, the Italian coach was thinking of making some rotations with Tuesday’s match against Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey in mind.
All in all, we can say that it was a match in which, rather than having reaped that victory, it was Leganés who earned their own merits for winning the match. Despite not winning the match, it was confirmed tonight that it is no coincidence that the blue and whites have won their duels against FC Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid.
Borja Jiménez’s team played a game that Butarque could be proud of. They competed at the Bernabéu until the last minute, including a momentary comeback, defying a Real Madrid team that gave it their all in the second half. Dmitrovic saved almost everything they threw at him.
And they threw it at Real Madrid for the full 90 minutes. In the first half, although it started to be harder for Real Madrid to get into their stride than on other occasions, they struggled until Mbappé’s goal from the penalty spot (32nd minute).
This move came from the previous sequence between Óscar and Arda Güler, a foul inside the area that the referee blew his whistle for without hesitation, but which was clearly the controversy of the night. There, the first goal of the night came from the penalty spot, scored by Mbappé’s boots. Later, although the home side were not playing their best, Leganés reacted in just six minutes to go into the break ahead on the scoreboard. First with Diego and then with Raba, who momentarily managed to turn the game around for the pepineros.
Real Madrid ended up winning more clearly in the second half
The joy did not last long for Borja Jiménez’s team either, who lost the lead as soon as the second half started after Jude Bellingham took advantage of a series of rebounds in the area to level the score again. Jude scored the equalizer just after the start of the second half after a series of rebounds and a crossbar, until finally it was the Englishman who brought order.
The truth is that, after an unlucky first half of the game, Ancelotti’s team was growing and Brahim came close to the third goal. He then shot with his right foot looking for the bottom corner of the far post and ended up hitting the woodwork. It was then, after Rodrygo and Vinicius came on for Güler and Brahim, that the game took on a different complexion and it looked as if Real Madrid were on their way to victory.
They did so by imposing themselves more clearly on the pitch in the second half, insistently looking for the third goal of the game, until another controversial action, this time for Tapias’s tackle on Rodrygo, resulted in Mbappé finally scoring the goal that gave Madrid fans peace of mind in the 76th minute.
A stunning free kick played short to Fran García to move the position of the ball with respect to the wall and he ended up beating Dmitrovic. It was Real Madrid’s comeback goal. Ancelotti’s side thus picked up three important points and remain in the title race.
The controversy: Óscar’s penalty on Arda Güler
Everything seemed calm at the Santiago Bernabéu until the 30th minute. That was when Real Madrid were awarded a penalty for a somewhat dubious tackle by Óscar on Arda Güler.
Despite the complaints of the Leganés players and Borja Jiménez, referee González Fuertes did not change his decision. But a beast awoke inside the pepineros, who turned the score around in the next 10 minutes.
Real Madrid were on the attack. Jude Bellingham did the damage, slipping a pass through the gap to his teammate Arda Güler, who was starting today. It was then that Óscar Rodríguez tried to steal the ball from him by coming in from behind, making just enough contact for the young Turkish player to go to the ground. He barely touched the merengue player, nor was there a push big enough to warrant a penalty. The VAR did not intervene as it was a debatable contact.
The visiting team threw their hands up in horror, they couldn’t believe it. In fact, Leganés themselves wrote on their Twitter account: “What”, as a sign of disbelief at what had happened. Real Madrid scored from the penalty spot, Kylian Mbappé did it.