"It’s laughable" - Spanish journalist warns Barcelona as Real Madrid get 4 penalties in 5 La Liga matches
Spanish journalist Jose Alvarez Haya has alerted Barcelona that they would need to fight multiple factors to win the La Liga title after Real Madrid defeated Real Sociedad 2-0. Haya reckons the referees are favoring Los Blancos, who were awarded two penalties in their win on Saturday (September 14), with Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe converting the strokes.
Real Madrid have found some good fortune this season, earning four penalties in their first five games. This helped them salvage a draw against Las Palmas (1-1) as well as defeat Real Betis (2-0) and Sociedad.
Many have questioned referees' decisions. However, this was amplified during Los Blancos' win against Sociedad when the former were given a penalty after Jon Aramburu stepped on Vinicius' foot. Despite the Brazilian having already played the ball, VAR urged referee Martinez Munuera to review the foul.
Munuera opted to award the penalty, much to the chagrin of Jose Alvarez Haya. The latter sent a warning to Barcelona, saying (via Barca Universal):
“4 penalties in 5 games for Real Madrid… But there will still be weekly videos of the referees [coming from Real Madrid TV]. It’s laughable. If Barça wants to win the league, it will have to fight against many factors.”
Haya's words suggest that Barcelona will have to overcome a top Real Madrid side as well as match officials to win the La Liga title again. They are currently at the summit of the standings with 12 points from four outings, one point above Los Blancos who have played five games.
"We didn’t deserve to win" - Carlo Ancelotti gives his verdict on Real Madrid's win against Sociedad as they ramp up pressure on Barcelona
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti said his side did not deserve to win their La Liga clash against Real Sociedad, praising the latter for their pressing. Despite this, Los Blancos reduced the deficit with rivals Barcelona to a single point on the table.
Ancelotti said (via Managing Madrid):
“It was a complicated match. We didn’t deserve to win, because Real Sociedad pressed a lot. We held on and suffered, we had commitment. And I value that a lot, because it’s not easy to find commitment in a team with so much quality. And today we did it.”
He added:
“We didn’t have a good start. They pressed very well in our field and we didn’t always manage to find the free player."
He also highlighted his side's form, saying:
“We are not at 100%, that’s normal, but the players are improving. We can talk about all the problems in the world with this match, but the important thing was to start well. We have to keep in mind that we are not at 100%. It’s normal, we don’t have four midfielders. I value very much the work of those who played.”
Los Blancos had slightly more ball possession at 52 percent and completed 437 passes with an accuracy of 88 percent compared to Sociedad's 393 (87 percent accuracy).
The hosts managed 11 shots in total, with two being on target. They were unlucky not to score, hitting the woodwork thrice. In contrast, Real Madrid weathered the storm well, with 16 shots in total, six on target.
All eyes will now be on Barcelona as they face Girona later today (September 15).