Real Madrid News
Real Madrid will not ask UEFA for an explanation for Man City’s illegal goal – report
Real Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw by Manchester City in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals.
The result handed sort of a blow to the reigning European champions, who must secure a win at Etihad next week if they are to book tickets for the Champions League final.
Controversy ensued in the first leg when Real Madrid conceded an equaliser in the 67th minute, with Kevin de Bruyne launching a simmering strike just outside the edge of the penalty area.
However, during the build-up to the goal, the ball appeared to be out of play, even though Bernardo Silva had tried his best to keep it in. The referees or the linesmen did not notice the error, and even VAR did not review it after de Bruyne’s goal.
Carlo Ancelotti had raised issues with the goal on the touchline but was shown a yellow card. But as revealed by Anton Meana (h/t Madrid Xtra), Real Madrid have not asked UEFA for an explanation regarding the de Bruyne goal and have decided to bury the hatchet.
This comes against the backdrop of UEFA reportedly offering an explanation as to why de Bruyne’s goal was allowed. They argued that even though the ball was out of play, Real Madrid had won the ball back momentarily. Therefore, it was labelled as a new passage of play.
Real Madrid, for their part, are now focusing ahead on the second leg, to be played next week. With a win now a necessity, it is now up to Carlo Ancelotti to rally his troops and motivate them ahead of the tie at the Etihad Stadium.
The Italian manager has come up with a three-point plan to beat Man City, but whether or not it comes to fruition remains to be seen.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho reacts to Vinicius suspension: “Why announce it two hours before an important match?”
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the RFEF Disciplinary Committee’s decision to announce Vinicius Jr.’s four-match suspension just hours before their UEFA Champions League meeting with AS Roma on Wednesday.
The Brazilian has been hit with a four-match ban for his red card against Villarreal, meaning he will miss the matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Valencia.
And, speaking to Movistar+ (h/t MARCA) before the match, the Real Madrid manager was asked whether the punishment could affect the Brazilian psychologically.
Mourinho instead turned his attention to the football authorities and the timing of their announcement.
“I think that is a question for the Committee. Why have they announced the suspension at this particular moment? If you are asking me this question, it is presumably because you think it could affect him,” the Portuguese coach replied.
“You should ask the Committee why they did not announce it this morning, or tomorrow morning. Why do they do it two hours before a match that is important for Real Madrid, which is a Spanish club?” he added, questioning the timing of the decision.
Mourinho explains his tactical approach against Roma
The Real Madrid manager also outlined his plan for facing a Roma side known for their aggressive pressing.
“My intention is to stop them from pressing us so high up the pitch, given the players we have available and as a precaution,” he said.
Continuing, the Portuguese manager added: “They press man-to-man higher up the pitch better than anyone else, and we will see whether we can take advantage of that. If not, they will have to drop their press five or ten metres.”
Why Rudiger over Huijsen
Mourinho also justified his decision to start Antonio Rudiger at centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate rather than Dean Huijsen.
“They played very well together in the last match, Rudiger and Konate, showing great leadership and the ability to withstand a difficult situation when we had ten men for 30 minutes,” he said.
“I am not saying Dean is not capable of playing a match like this, but this is a wonderful atmosphere for Roma and a difficult one for us. I think a player with Antonio’s experience can be important,” Mourinho added.
Finally, Mourinho was asked about his emotions ahead of returning to face Roma, the club he managed between 2021 and 2024.
The Portuguese coach offered a brief response, saying that he had his feelings about the occasion “blocked”.
