Real Madrid downplay Almeria talk of VAR ‘robbery’ in loss،
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti dismissed Almería's anger as the bottom La Liga club complained they were robbed in the hosts' 3-2 win at the Santiago Bernabéu on Sunday.
Almeria, who are winless in the league this season, took a surprise 2-0 halftime lead against Madrid. However, Ancelotti's side responded with three second-half goals, including a 99th-minute winner to return to the top of the table.
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The match shifted at three key moments after the break, with referee Francisco José Hernández Maeso awarding Madrid a penalty, ruling out an Almería strike and allowing Vinicius Junior to score with his upper arm.
All three decisions were made after Hernández Maeso reviewed the incidents on the pitchside monitor, with Ancelotti lending his support to each of the calls.
“I understand Almería's anger at these decisions, but I think they were all correct,” Ancelotti said in his post-match press conference. “I saw them again. I think the referee agreed with them. It's not the VAR who makes the decisions. The VAR advises and the referee decides. I think he was right.”
Almería got off to a good start, with Largie Ramazani opening the scoring in the first minute and Edgar González doubling the lead in the 43rd minute before the drama began after the break.
First, the referee awarded a penalty for a Kaiky Fernandes handball when Almería claimed the Brazilian had been fouled by Joselu. Jude Bellingham converted from the spot.
Almería then had a goal from Sergio Arribas disallowed due to a foul on Bellingham by Dion Lopy in the build-up, paving the way for Vinícius to equalize with his upper arm. Dani Carvajal then scored the winner in stoppage time, sneaking in at the far post to score from a tight angle.
“It’s a competition that should be fair for everyone, and that’s sometimes hard to see,” González told reporters. “THE [Madrid penalty] It's an obvious foul and I think the second one is a handball foul. All the decisions were in their favor.”
Defender Marc Pubill added that “someone decided we couldn't win and that's what happened.
Midfielder Gonzalo Melero was equally upset, telling reporters: “We feel like we were robbed today, that's clear. They couldn't have done more to [Madrid] to get back into the match.
“And this has already happened to us several times this season. If you don't complain, they don't help you, that's how it is. We never said anything, but today we exceeded all limits . It was incredible.”
Ancelotti blamed Madrid's lackluster first half on fatigue after a tough run of games that ended with them being eliminated from the Copa del Rey by Atlético Madrid in extra time on Thursday.
This came after a 4-1 victory over Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final and a 5-3 win over Atlético after extra time in the same competition, with both matches played in Saudi Arabia.
“The first half was really bad,” Ancelotti said. “We lacked energy. The team was tired. The second half was a different story and we had the support of the stadium to push us, which is important.
“I made a mistake with the team by selecting tired players. In the 30th minute I was already thinking about changes to have more energy.
“All I could do to change the dynamic was cool my legs at half-time. Some players paid the price in extra time against Atlético on Thursday. The second half was best.
“I am more [angry] with myself than anything else. Everyone wants to play, but I have to assess who is ready, who needs rest, etc., and I was wrong today.”
The victory takes Real Madrid to 51 points from 20 matches ahead of Saturday's trip to Las Palmas. Almería remains in last position with only six points.
