Real Madrid continued bleeding points in the Spanish League, by falling to Real Sociedad (2-0), at Anoeta Stadium, in the 33rd round of La Liga.
Sharjah 24 – Asaad Khalil:
Real Madrid suffered its seventh loss this season, its sixth outside its bases, and its third in its last three matches, when it fell to its fourth host, Real Sociedad, with two clean goals, in the 33rd round of La Liga.
Real Madrid’s balance froze at 68 points in second place and threatened to fall back to third place if its neighbor Atletico Madrid defeated its guest Cadiz on Wednesday, while Real Sociedad strengthened its chances of winning the last, fourth card that qualifies for the Champions League next season, after strengthening its position in the center. Fourth, with 61 points, by 8 points temporarily, in front of the fifth chasing Villarreal, who will also visit Valencia tomorrow.
And it seemed well that Real Madrid was affected by the absence of its Croatian stars Luka Modric and the Austrian David Alaba due to injury, the Brazilian Vinicius Junior and the French Eduardo Camavinga due to injury, and his French striker and captain Karim Benzema, after Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti preferred to rest him.
Real Madrid was the first to threaten his Brazilian international defender Eder Militao with a header, following a corner kick that goalkeeper Alex Remiro narrowly pushed into a corner (9).
The crossbar deprived Martin Subimendi of granting progress to Sociedad by returning his ball from close range, and the goal was open in front of him (16).
Belgian international goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois saved his goal by blocking veteran David Silva’s shot from close range, before the defense dispersed it (19).
And Militao almost did it with a header from close range, which passed next to the right post (24).
Real Sociedad succeeded in opening the scoring through former Real Madrid international Japanese midfielder Takefusa Kubo, who took advantage of a wrong ball from Militao to Courtois, and followed it into the empty goal (47).
Real Madrid’s ordeals increased by expelling his defender Dani Carvajal by receiving a second yellow card (61).
And Courtois saved his goal from a second goal by deflecting a powerful shot by Andre Barinichea from a free kick from outside the area (81).
Barinichea added the second goal, when he received a ball inside the area from Silva, so he prepared it for himself and slid it to the right of Courtois (85).
– Elche first to descend –
Elche became the first to be relegated to the second division, losing to Almeria 1-2.
Almeria scored first through Brazilian striker Leo Baptistao in the 22nd minute, following a pass from his compatriot Rodrigo Eli, and Adrian Embarba added the second goal early in the second half (52), before Argentine striker Esequial Ponce scored the only goal for the guests in the last minute.
Elche suffered its 23rd loss this season, so its score stuck at 16 points in last place, 17 points behind Valencia seventeenth, and the last survivor of relegation five stages before the end of the season, while Almeria strengthened its hopes of survival by rising to fourteenth place with 36 points.