Home ›› 01 Nov 2022 ›› Sport
A below-par Real Madrid dropped points in the title race with a 1-1 draw at home against Girona on Sunday in La Liga, with Rodrygo having a goal ruled out late on.
Second-placed Barcelona, who snatched a late victory at Valencia on Saturday, are now just a point behind the leaders, who remain unbeaten in the top flight.
Reigning champions Madrid took the lead through Vinicius Junior in the 70th minute but Cristhian Stuani levelled with a disputed penalty after Marco Asensio handled in the area.
Rodrygo bashed home what he thought was an 89th-minute winner, but it was disallowed as he kicked the ball out from under Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga’s hand -- he had just about managed to get it under control after stopping a shot from the Brazilian.
Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos was sent off in stoppage time for the first time in his career, to cap a frustrating afternoon for Carlo Ancelotti’s team at the Santiago Bernabeu.
“I don’t like to talk about this a lot, but today I’ll talk,” said Madrid coach Ancelotti. “The first situation is quite clear, it’s not a penalty because he didn’t touch the ball with his hand.
“I spoke with Asensio and he touched the ball with his chest, it’s true he had his left hand in a strange position, but it covered the body, it didn’t make it bigger. There could have been doubt if it touched it, but simply he didn’t touch the ball with his hand, it was invented.”
The ball did appear to hit Asensio on the arm after it bounced off his chest.
Madrid could not bounce back from their first defeat of the season across all competitions, at RB Leipzig in the Champions League.
They were again without Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema, who was not 100 percent fit after a thigh problem.
