A reduced Real Madrid without Benzema, VinÃcius or Modric took a loss from Anoeta in a game played at a high pace and where they were overcome by the intensity of a Real Sociedad in the fight for fourth place. Madrid suffered the expulsion of Carvajal at the hour of the game and Militão gave away a goal again, this time to Kubo, as soon as the second half began. [See the classification].
Madrid never has it easy in Donosti and yesterday was one more night of pick and shovel. Despite no longer fighting for the League, Ancelotti did not want to throw the game out of the line-up and the only concession was the presence of Mariano as a center forward, practically unheard of all season.
The truth is that the Italian coach didn’t have many other options because with VinÃcius suspended in Madrid and with Benzema giving him a rest, the alternatives were Mariano, Eden Hazard or the Spanish-Uruguayan youth squad Ãlvaro RodrÃguez.
At Real Sociedad Imanol Alguacil was able to have his gala team at his disposal and the San Sebastian team pressed firmly from the start with a very pressing midfield in which Merino led the charge and nobody gave up an inch of ground. In fact, some Merino entries were very borderline.
There were no goals in the first part but there were chances in both nets. The clearest shot at Zubimendi’s crossbar with everything in favor. Then, Courtois made a great save with Silva’s foot and Real would claim a penalty from Militão against Oyarzabal that the Canarian referee Pulido Santana did not see that way, nor did the VAR intervene.
Madrid carried almost all the danger through Rodrygo, who had a lot of overflow but his centers did not find a finisher. Mariano, as usual, ran to death, but never found good positions and his struggle went largely unnoticed. Militão had a couple of good headers without finding the goal ball.
The second part started in a surprising way. In the first minute Militão, under pressure from Sorloth, slipped and gave Kubo the goal by giving the Japanese a goal pass, who only had to push it against a desperate Courtois. Militão, who was being Madrid’s best centre-back this season, already had a disastrous day against Girona, clearly responsible for three of Girona’s four goals. At this rate it will be good news for the whites that Militão cannot play at the Bernabeu against Manchester City as he is suspended.
With the goal against Madrid advanced lines in search of the tie. At 58 minutes Ancelotti chose to change nine and took out the inoperative Mariano for the youth player Ãlvaro. However, the next minute Carvajal saw the second yellow for going to a divided ball and arriving late against Aihen. Shortly before he had seen the first one for asking for a card for Oyarzabal. Madrid saw five yellow cards tonight, one for Ancelotti, four of them for protesting. This is the second expulsion of Carvajal throughout his career.
With five minutes to go, Barrentexea scored the second in individual action, with Madrid already thinking only of the final in Seville on Saturday.
2.- Real Sociedad: Remiro; Gorosabel (Aritz, min. 62), Zubeldia (Pacheco, min. 62), Le Normand, Aihen Muñoz; Zubimendi, Merino, Oyarzabal, Silva (Illarramendi, min. 88); Sorloth (Carlos Fernández, min. 73) and Kubo (Barrenetxea, min. 73).
0.- Real Madrid: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rüdiger, Nacho; Cross (Lucas Vazquez, min. 62), Ceballos, Tchouameni; Asensio (Arribas, min. 82), Mariano (Alvaro, min. 58), Rodrigo.
Referee: Pulido Santana (Las Palmas Committee). He sent off Carvajal in the 61st minute for a double yellow. He admonished Gorosabel, Ceballos, Nacho and Rodrigo.
Goals: 1-0, min. 46: Cube. 2-0, min. 84: Barrenetxea.
Incidents: Match corresponding to the thirty-eighth day of LaLiga Santander played in front of 35,314 spectators at the Reale Arena in San Sebastián, with a temperature of 16 degrees.
