Football Espana
·8 febbraio 2025
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Yahoo sportsFootball Espana
·8 febbraio 2025
For the second weekend in a row, Real Madrid appear to have ended a La Liga match with the feeling of being affected by referees. In Saturday’s Madrid derby, which ended in a 1-1 draw, the hosts were of the belief that the decision to award a penalty to Atletico Madrid in the first half was not a correct one.
On the match itself, Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti admitted that he felt his side deserved to take all three points from the Santiago Bernabeu, as per Diario AS.
“I think we deserved more. It was a very good game in the second half. In the first one it was totally different. We were slower. We came out with good feelings, especially for the second half. The penalty situation has affected the team. Before, we played too slow. In the second we already took advantage of the width of the field. Vini and Rodrygo created a lot of danger on the wings.”
Carlo Ancelotti’s reaction to the Atletico Madrid penalty award (Photo by Movistar+)
On the refereeing controversies, Ancelotti chose to put his foot in his mouth, as he gave a blunt refusal to talk.
“I don’t want to talk (about the referee). The penalty has been awarded by VAR. The referee was very close and saw it well. I saw another penalty in Athletic-Girona… The people of football do not understand this.
“I don’t want to get into a controversy that is quite big. It was an even, competitive match. As I said, we came out of the game with a draw, but encouraged. The team was good in the second half.”
Ancelotti also responded to claims from Atleti counterpart Diego Simeone that Barcelona are favourites to win La Liga this season.
“Everyone has their opinion. It’s going to be a very competitive league until the end. We are happy, despite the difficulty we have. Before the match, there was an image. With the four of them, Carvajal, Militao, Alaba and Rudiger, greeting the teammates who entered the field. And that means that, despite the difficulties, we are doing very well.”