After a scoreless draw with Rayo Vallecano at the Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid dropped to second place in the La Liga standings.
Federico Valverde and Joselu were among the Los Blancos players who squandered fantastic chances during the encounter despite Madrid having 22 efforts on target and failing to score against a resilient Vallecano team.
Due to the result, Granada now leads La Liga after 12 weeks, two points ahead of Madrid and four ahead of Barcelona.
What happened during the game
Within the first five minutes of the match, Real Madrid came within inches of taking a 1-0 lead. Federico Valverde pounced on a loose ball after Unai Lopez’s sloppy play and raced into the penalty area. Valverde had a one-on-one opportunity to score, but Stole Dimitrievski was able to palm the ensuing shot wide of the post.
The next player to come close to scoring was Joselu, who got the best of a beautiful set piece pass from Luka Modric by leaping highest in the center of the box. Unfortunately for the home crowd, the forward’s header missed the goal.
Perhaps the most memorable moment of the game was when Jude Bellingham hurt his shoulder while attempting a chest control of the ball. After receiving considerable treatment on the field, the England star returned to the game. It remains to be determined how much damage to his shoulder he incurred though.
Madrid dominated the remainder of the first half thereafter, with Fran Garcia having a strike from the left of the penalty are go just over the crossbar, and Joselu forcing Dimitrievski into another superb stop after being found by a smart cut-back pass from Vinicius Junior.
After a lot of effort in the first few minutes of the second half, Madrid scored in the 66th minute.
Vinicius Junior scored after latching onto a Joselu header to the back post and sliding the ball under the goalie. After a fast review by VAR, however, it was determined that Joselu was offside prior to the scoring, and the goal was correctly disallowed.
After Dani Carvajal’s cross found Rodrygo Goes on the right side of the box, the substitute almost made it 1-0 for Madrid, but his shot went just wide.
After that scare 20 minutes from time, Rayo stood firm, and Los Blancos, as they so frequently do this season, were unable to break through a resolute away defense in the dying minutes.
Real Madrid player ratings
GK: Kepa Arrizabalaga (5/10). Was the ball touched? He may not have.
RB: Dani Carvajal (7/10). Most likely his finest season performance. In the final third, the Madrid captain made several important contributions.
CB: Antonio Rudiger—6/10—A threat from set pieces.
David Alaba (5/10): CB He had little defensive responsibility.
Fran Garcia (6/10), LB, came close to scoring his first Madrid goal. A good performance by the young fullback.
Federico Valverde (7/10) should have scored in the first five minutes. He played well after that.
Eduardo Camavinga – 6/10 – Hard work in the park.
Luka Modric: 7/10—Typical Modric performance. Used the ball well whenever he had it.
AM: Jude Bellingham – 6/10 – His injury scare will be a game-stealing moment. Despite some magic after returning from treatment, couldn’t find another winner for his squad.
ST: Joselu – 5/10 – Missed several golden chances. A decent choice but not the club’s lone natural number nine.
ST: Vinicius Junior (7/10). Scored an offside goal and looked most likely to give Madrid the lead.
Substitutes:
Rodrygo Goes for Modric (’70): 5/10 Came on and squandered a wonderful chance. His season so far.
SUB: Toni Kroos (5/10, 1972 for Garcia)
Sub: Nacho Fernandez (Camavinga ’86)—N/A.
Manager: Carlo Ancelotti (5/10). The Madrid press will scrutinize Ancelotti’s choice not to substitute Arda Guler or Brahim Diaz all week after the team failed to win.
Man of the match: Stole Dimitrievski (Rayo Vallecano)