After a fairly dull first half, things got much more interesting in the second half in Madrid.
Real Madrid Vs. Real Zaragoza: Zaragoza Hold On For A Wild 3-2 Victory At The Bernabéu
For the home side, the second half started in much the same way that the first half ended. After putting his team ahead in the first half, Lafita got taken down in the box by Ricardo Carvalho, drawing a yellow card and more importantly a penalty for his club. Gabi stepped up to the spot and easily beat Iker Casillas with a right-footed shot to the lower right corner.
The entire sequence was started by an errant pass and turnover that allowed Zaragoza to counter. The Madrid defense couldn't recover and Carvahlo's body check on Lafita was an easy decision for the referee. The goal came just as Angel Di Maria and Marcelo has entered the match, replacing Canales and Nacho respectively.
The second goal seemed to finally wake up Madrid and in the 62nd minute, they finally took advantage of a sustained period of pressure as Sergio Ramos headed home a Mesut Özil corner to cut the lead to 2-1.
The game picked up the pace after the Madrid goal and series of close plays left Madrid frustrated as they were denied a penalty and minutes later Karim Benzema’s header rattled the crossbar. Madrid began pushing harder for the equalizer and despite a plethora of good chances, they were unable to find the back of the net.
As often happens when a team presses forward, they are exposed on the counter attack. Uche broke free after a block shot and quick clearance, drawing three Madrid defenders his way, leaving Lafita completely alone on the far side. Uche’s pass was perfect and the Zaragoza forward scored his second goal of the match to restore their two-goal advantage in the 76th minute.
Benzema scored a lovely strike in the 84th minute to bring Madrid back within a goal, but minutes later, Ricardo Carvalho was shown his second yellow card of the match and sent off by the referee. Even with the man advantage, Zaragoza was still left absorbing pressure for nearly seven minutes of stoppage time to hold on to the surprising victory.
It’s a huge three points for Zaragoza who entered the day just one point out of the relegation zone and the club’s first victory at the Bernabéu in twelve years.
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