Lucas Perez and Joselu give Alaves shock win at Real Madrid

Lucas Perez scored a fifth-minute penalty at Alfredo di Stefano stadium and Joselu added a second just after half-time following an awful mistake by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Casemiro gave Real a lifeline on 86 minutes but Alaves held on for a victory that lifted them up to ninth. Madrid remain in fourth place and six points behind Real Sociedad and Diego Simeone's Atletico.

After a minute's silence in honour of Diego Maradona, in keeping with the poignant tributes around Spain this weekend following the death of the Argentine legend, Real soon fell behind when Nacho handled at a corner. Perez powered the spot-kick beyond Courtois to give Alaves the lead, and the forward should have struck a second when he was played clean through, his attempted chip superbly swatted aside by the Real 'keeper.

Real Madrid should have had a penalty when Duarte fouled Eden Hazard in the box, but the referee and the VAR thought otherwise. Madrid's night went from bad to worse when Eden Hazard was forced off on 28 minutes after taking a knock, the latest in a long list of injury setbacks for the Belgium star.

Just before half-time, Victor Laguardia pulled Marcelo by the hair on the edge of the box, but once again the officials saw nothing untoward and Madrid were losing at the break. 

While a terrific double save by Fernando Pacheco denied Toni Kroos, a howler from Courtois presented Joselu with the second goal on 49 minutes when a wayward pass went straight to the forward who steered home from 30 yards.

Mariano Diaz's header was cleared off the line before Casemiro tapped in from close range after Pacheco kept out Vinicius Junior's effort, but despite late Real Madrid pressure, Alaves clung on as Isco clipped the bar with the final kick. 

 

November 28, 2020