Real Madrid 3-2 Almeria: 5 hits and flops as Los Blancos fight back from a two-goal deficit to beat fiery bottom-dwellers | La Liga 2023-24
Real Madrid fought back from two goals down to beat Almeria 3-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu in La Liga on Sunday to remain on leaders Girona's coattails.
Ranked 20th on the table and winless all season, Almeria went ahead just 40 seconds after kick-off as Largie Ramazani slotted a cool finish past Kepa Arrizabalaga.
In the dying moments of the opening stanza, Edgar Gonzalez made it 2-0 for the Rojiblancos with a lovely strike from range as Almeria seemed to be on the way to their first top-flight win of the season.
Real Madrid upped their game after the break with Jude Bellingham scoring a penalty in the 57th minute before Vinicius Junior brought them level 10 minutes later.
Another goal was needed to complete the turnaround, and Dani Carvajal popped up with the winner in the ninth minute of stoppage time. He swooped in on the right to tap home Bellingham's headed cross as Los Blancos made it 3-2 at the death.
They remain in second place on the table with 51 points, just one behind Girona but with a game in hand, whereas Almeria find themselves bottom, without a win in 21 games.
Here are the five hits and flops from the game:
Hit: Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid)
He's added goals to his game this season but this might just be the most important one yet. Sure, it wasn't Dani Carvajal's best game, but the Spaniard stepped up and made it count when it mattered the most.
As Jude Bellingham headed in a cross, Carvajal swooped in at the back post to fire it home and seal it at the death for Real Madrid. This comes just days after he scored an important equalizer against Atletico Madrid in the Spanish Supercup semi-finals.
Flop: Nacho (Real Madrid)
Real Madrid had a nightmare in the first half as Almeria, ranked 20th on the La Liga table and winless all season, went 2-0 up at the Santiago Bernabeu. Unfortunately for them, Nacho was responsible on both occasions.
The Spaniard's pass for Ferland Mendy was intercepted by Lucas Robertone, who then sped upfield as La Union got on the offensive before Largie Ramazani finished it by burying the ball in the back of the net.
In the 43rd minute, Nacho attempted to clear a pass out of danger but it fell directly to Edgar Gonzalez, who whipped an unstoppable howitzer into the far post to make it 2-0.
Hit: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
The sky is the limit for Jude Bellingham, who is having a dream debut season with Real Madrid. The Englishman was at his best yet again, scoring a goal and then assisting the winner to help his side claim all three points.
Following a cagey opening stanza, Bellingham came to life after the break, cutting Almeria open with incisive passes and getting into good attacking positions. He began the comeback by converting a penalty in the 57th minute and then assisted Carvajal's winner with a looping header inside the box.
Flop: Marko Milovanovic (Almeria)
Almeria went 2-0 up in the first half and their striker Marko Milovanovic had no role to play in either of their goals. The Serbian was subdued and largely eclipsed by more active players on the night.
Milovanovic failed to muster a single shot in the match and didn't lay a single cross either. He also won just one of his eight aerial duels in the game and was put out of his misery in the 70th minute.
Hit: Joselu (Real Madrid)
Joselu has been the real deal for Real Madrid this season. With 10 goals and four assists from 28 games in all competitions, the Spaniard has been an instrumental figure in Carlo Ancelotti's side. More recently, he scored in both of their cup games against Atletico Madrid.
While the 33-year-old didn't get on the scoresheet on Sunday, he made a huge impact off the bench, adding plenty of energy, poise and purpose upfront as Los Blancos were trailing in the match. The former Alaves and Espanyol forward was also involved in the moments leading up to the penalty.