Real Madrid ends its visit to Valencia with a 2-2 draw with controversy at the end

Brahim Diaz del Real Madrid pelea por el balón con Diego López del Valencia en el encuentro de la liga española en el Estadio Mestalla el sábado 2 de marzo del 2024.

 MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid had the reaction at Mestalla to save a 2-2 draw on Saturday with Valencia in the Spanish league thanks to a double from Vinicius Júnior, in a duel that ended with complaints when it was finished just right when Jude Bellingham scored what seemed to be the winning goal.

The referee Jesús Gil Manzano gave the Merengues the opportunity for a last corner kick. When the ball reached the other side he whistled the end, just when Brahim Díaz took a cross that Bellingham sent a header into the nets, but the action was not validated.

“There is not much to say, I think something unprecedented has happened because after the rebound we had possession and the play would have to stop when Valencia entered possession of the ball,” said Carlo Ancelotti, merengue strategist. “It is something unprecedented. It never happened to me".

The Merengues' complaints caused the expulsion of Bellingham, who returned to this game after having missed two days due to a sprained ankle.

Valencia could not maintain the advantage that it achieved with goals from Hugo Duro in the 27th and Roman Yaremchuk in the 30th, thanks to a blunder in a ball delivery by Dani Carvajal.

STAY WITH US

Vini charged with the whites on his return to Mestalla after last May he was subjected to racist insults, which he angrily denounced, in a match that ended with a merengue defeat and with him sent off during compensation.

Now the stellar Brazilian winger brought the whites closer moments before the break with a shot from the six-yard box, off a Carvajal cross; He evened the score with a header in the 76th minute from a Brahim cross.

STAY WITH US

The final minutes were controversial when Gil Manzano pointed out a penalty on Duro, an action that the video referee (VAR) asked him to review so that he could change his decision.

Then came that last action, in which Manzano whistled just when Brahim took a cross that would end up in the net with Bellingham's header.

“I saw it clearly, I saw how the referee whistled before he centered. He also scored five in the first half and Madrid scored against us in stoppage time. The referee decided like this and there is not much more to say,” said Rubén Baraja, Valencia coach.

Real Madrid went 21 days without defeat in the championship (15 wins and six draws) to consolidate its lead with 66 points, seven ahead of Girona and nine more than Barcelona, who will play their duels of the day on Sunday. 

Throughout the match there were many moments when Vinicius was shouted at from the stands and called a fool; In each of his goals, the Brazilian gestured towards the audience to celebrate.

Before the meeting, a tribute was paid to the memory of the victims of the fire in a building in El Campanar that claimed the lives of 14 people.

OTHER RESULTS

With a double from Youssef En-Nesyri (minutes 11 and 13), as well as another goal from Sergio Ramos (65), Sevilla won 3-2 against Real Sociedad, with André Silva scoring from a penalty (45+5) and Brais Méndez (90+2).

The victory moved the Andalusian team away from the relegation zone by placing them in 14th position with 27 points; the Txuri urdin team stagnated in 7th place with 40.

In other results, Rayo Vallecano tied 1-1 with Cádiz, while Getafe tied 3-3 with Las Palmas.

              PAKISTAN SUPER LEAGUE PSL 9, 2024