Despite scoring a goal and securing a win against Deportivo Alavés (2-1), Kylian Mbappé endured a particularly tense evening at the Santiago Bernabéu. The Real Madrid striker was subjected to a barrage of boos from a Madrid crowd exasperated by a season that is turning into a disappointment.
Real Madrid returned to winning ways, but the significance of the result lies almost entirely in the score. After a worrying run of three defeats and a draw in their last four matches, the Madrid side beat Deportivo Alavés at the Santiago Bernabéu in a particularly heavy atmosphere. The Madrid club’s season is sinking into a strange rut where every success seems merely to postpone the inevitable. Elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Bayern Munich and a La Liga title that appears destined for FC Barcelona have left a bitter taste in the Spanish capital. Facing an opponent fighting for survival, the aim was simply to win to salvage the honour of the Merengues, who are on the brink of disaster, and to try to quell growing frustration over a season that risks ending, once again, without a major trophy – even if the league title is still mathematically up for grabs.
On the pitch, however, Real Madrid got the job done, even if the match once again left a strange impression. The first goal came from Kylian Mbappé, whose long-range shot was deflected by a defender and wrong-footed the Basque goalkeeper. A fortunate, almost accidental goal, which the French striker didn’t even celebrate. Subsequently, Vinícius Júnior gave his side some breathing space with a superb long-range strike, doubling the lead and bringing momentary relief. But even with a two-goal lead, Real Madrid never looked entirely convincing. Alavés continued to play with courage and eventually pulled one back in the closing minutes, highlighting once again Madrid’s fragility this season. A 2-1 victory that feels more like a band-aid than a genuine revival, almost a placebo remedy for the ailments and wounds that continue to cause suffering for Madrid’s supporters.
A booed Mbappé looking glum
For the real highlight of the evening didn’t just take place on the pitch. In the stands at the Bernabéu, the atmosphere was frosty long before kick-off. The bars around the stadium were half-empty and the atmosphere was unusually quiet for a Real Madrid match night. Very quickly, the fans’ frustration turned into a chorus of boos. Several players were targeted, notably Vinícius and Mbappé, who were booed repeatedly by their own fans. The Frenchman, despite his goal, was subjected to a barrage of boos after missing a huge chance just before half-time. A failed lob attempt against the goalkeeper was enough to spark widespread irritation in an increasingly impatient stadium. This atmosphere perfectly illustrates the current mood surrounding the Madrid club. In Madrid, scoring is no longer enough when the team’s results are disappointing and the season already seems lost on the big stage. Mbappé experienced this first-hand on this very strange evening, despite having opened the scoring. Madrid fans expect not just goals but resounding victories, trophies and clear dominance.
“This isn’t the first time this has happened. Vinicius has always given his all to carry the team on his shoulders. He doesn’t shy away from anything; he’s a true Madridista, he wears the badge with pride and he’s very brave. I’m delighted that the fans rewarded him with applause. Will he extend his contract? It’s not for me to decide, but I hope he stays for many more years. I don’t think it’s a widespread phenomenon, or even a daily occurrence. This debate about the demands of this stadium will never end. What pleases me is that Vinicius has turned the boos into applause. That’s what matters to me,” said Álvaro Arbeloa regarding the boos heard in the stands at the Bernabéu. In a club accustomed to the pinnacle of success, the slightest dip in form quickly turns into public anger. And even the most highly anticipated stars in the Madrid dressing room discover that the Bernabéu can become one of the most demanding stadiums in Europe when the promises of a season go unfulfilled.
Liam Rosenior slams his players following Chelsea’s latest thrashing
Following the Blues’ crushing 3-0 defeat at Brighton, the London side’s manager came under heavy criticism. But this time, the former Strasbourg coach has decided to lay into his players.
Chelsea are in the depths of despair. Since their Champions League elimination by Paris Saint-Germain, the club managed by Liam Rosenior have been unable to get back on their feet. Whilst they still have the FA Cup to salvage some pride (semi-final against Leeds), the Blues are sinking in the league. Tonight, they suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat away at Brighton. A defeat with far-reaching consequences and heavy symbolic significance. In the table, Chelsea have been overtaken by tonight’s opponents and could potentially find themselves ten points adrift of fifth place – the Champions League spot – if Liverpool beat Crystal Palace. And that’s not all.
Chelsea are sinking
The Londoners have just suffered their fifth consecutive Premier League defeat without scoring a single goal. A first since 1912. Unsurprisingly, Liam Rosenior was under more scrutiny than ever following this latest fiasco. The young English manager recently insisted he had the full backing of the board. But tonight, many are wondering whether he can really survive this latest setback, despite a contract running until 2032. The evening had got off to a bad start for Rosenior anyway. Having championed a united front, the former Strasbourg manager saw Marc Cucurella’s barber announce before anyone else that Cole Palmer and João Pedro were out through injury. This was enough to annoy Rosenior, who had already railed against leaks of his line-ups, particularly ahead of the match against PSG.
Speaking after the match, Trevoh Chalobah insisted that he and his teammates fought until the very end, despite the score. “We gave it our all. But we simply weren’t the better team. We had a game plan. We tried to put it into action. We did our best. We’d been working on that game plan all week. We lost today. We have to start from scratch; we can’t dwell on moments like this. We can take responsibility. As players, we have to take responsibility for our performance. We know how much the fans support us; we know they’re disappointed with the results. We’re not winning matches. We have to stick together and get through this. I think the lads gave it their all. If you look in the dressing room, everyone’s tired. It’s got nothing to do with effort. We gave it our all. We lost today. We ran our hearts out today. The stats are what they are. The lads are tired.”
“I’m in shock, I’m so angry.”
Highly anticipated by the media, Rosenior changed his tone. This time, the 41-year-old coach decided to lay into his players. For him, this thrashing was the worst of all since he took charge of the Blues. “By a long way. By a very long way. It was unacceptable in every aspect of the match. I’ve always defended the players, but tonight’s performance was indefensible. The way we conceded the goals, the duels we lost. Something has to change radically, here and now. We need to take a long, hard look at ourselves. I have to look in the mirror. But I can’t keep coming here and defending some of the things we’re seeing. Against Manchester United, the result really wasn’t there, but I felt we’d turned a corner. But the general attitude and spirit were lacking; there was only determination from three or four of the starting eleven. That’s nowhere near enough for this club. I can’t come here and lie. I’m telling the truth. It was an unacceptable performance on every level,” he told Sky Sports, before doubling down in front of the cameras on Match of the Day.
“I have my own views; I’m not here to make excuses. What happened was unacceptable on the part of everyone around me, myself included. This has to change. It’s a question of responsibility. I’ve defended the players when necessary, but I cannot defend this performance. It does not reflect this club; it does not in any way match what I expect from the squad, and that has to change. I’m in shock; I’m so angry. I always speak from what I see, and that was unacceptable. The goals we conceded were unacceptable, and that is something I have to acknowledge. I’m going to assess the team, I’ll assess the players individually, and I’ll look for a team I can trust to get the basics of football right – and we shouldn’t have to be talking about the basics of football at this level. It’s something we need to fix very quickly. Tonight, it wasn’t a question of tactics. It was a question of determination, spirit and courage, and I didn’t see enough of that tonight. It’s nowhere near enough and we need to improve in that regard.” The return to London looks set to be a turbulent one.
