DEVASTATING NEWS: Despite Real Madrid’s 3-2 victory over Almeria, fans of the Spanish giants have turned on one of their own players, who they feel is not performing to the required standard. While the team managed to secure the win, many supporters have taken to social media to vent their frustrations with the player in question, labelling him as ‘off-form’ and ‘not good enough’ for the club. Real Madrid fans turn on ‘off-form’ star despite win.
Fans have criticized goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga despite Real Madrid securing a 3-2 victory against Almeria at home in La Liga on Sunday. The visitors, led by Largie Ramazani, took a surprising lead in the opening minute at the Santiago Bernabeu, and Edgar Gonzalez extended Almeria’s advantage with a goal two minutes before halftime.
Carlo Ancelotti’s team initiated their comeback with a 57th-minute penalty from Jude Bellingham, and Vinicius Junior leveled the score ten minutes later. In a dramatic turn of events, Dani Carvajal secured a last-minute winner in the tenth minute of stoppage time. However, fans remained unconvinced by Madrid’s performance, particularly singling out Kepa for criticism and expressing a desire for him to leave the club. One fan tweeted about Nacho being a bench player and emphasized that Kepa should not be part of the squad.
Reactions on various platforms reflected fans’ dissatisfaction with Kepa’s contribution. Despite being on a season-long loan from Chelsea, Kepa found himself under scrutiny, with supporters calling for his exclusion from the team. This sentiment arises in the context of regular goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois suffering a potentially season-ending ACL injury earlier in the season. Kepa, in his role as a replacement, has managed to keep seven clean sheets in 17 games across various competitions.
The last-minute triumph propelled Madrid two points clear of second-placed Girona after completing 20 games. However, the victory failed to appease the fans, who remained critical of the team’s overall performance.
Real Madrid rebounded from a disappointing 4-2 defeat in the midweek Copa del Rey Round of 16 against Atletico Madrid. Despite the unconvincing victory against Almeria, summer signing Jude Bellingham played a pivotal role with a goal and an assist for Carvajal’s late winner. This performance allowed Madrid to reclaim the top spot in the league, overtaking Girona. The next league fixture for Los Blancos is against Las Palmas on Saturday, January 27.
Carlo Ancelotti’s team is enjoying a successful campaign, having suffered only two losses across various competitions, both against Atletico. They secured their first trophy of the season at the Supercopa Espana, defeating defending champions Barcelona 4-1 in the final. Real Madrid is also progressing to the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 as group winners and is set to face RB Leipzig in the upcoming stage.
