Carvajal nets last-gasp winner as Real Madrid complete second-half comeback against Almeria

An inspired Almeria took a two-goal lead into the second half, but Real Madrid somehow found a way to complete a huge comeback late in stoppage time and secured a 3-2 win at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.

The visitors took Los Blancos by surprise, with Largie Ramazani scoring one of the quickest goals this season just 38 seconds into the game.

Unsruprisingly, Real Madrid dominated the ball from that point on, recording 75 percent of possession before the break. Yet, Carlo Ancelotti’s side couldn’t find ways to break down Almeria’s rigid defence, with the hosts failing to register a single shot on goal in the first half.

As if their struggles up front were not enough, a Nacho Fernandez misplaced clearance saw Edgar Gonzalez unleash a strike from outside the box and the ball ended into the top right corner of Kepa Arrizabalaga’s goal to double Almeria’s lead.

Second-half comeback

Real Madrid bounced back after the interval, with Jude Bellingham converting from the spot after a controversial penalty was awarded to the hosts following Kaiky’s handball in the box.

It took Almeria just five minutes to strike again, with Real Madrid academy product Sergio Arribas finding the back of the net. Yet, the goal was disallowed for a foul on Bellingham in the build-up.

Almeria players looked furious after these two refereeing decisions and Real Madrid took advantage of their lack of concentration to equalise through Vinicius Junior with 20 minutes to go.

Ancelotti’s men thought that they’d completed their second-half comeback through Bellingham, who netted his second of the night with a smooth finish in the 77th minute, but his goal was ruled out for offside.

Almeria goalkeeper Luis Maximiano rejected Vinicius four minutes later, but Los Blancos pinned the guests back to their boxes and managed to turn the game around deep into stoppage time.

Bellingham found Dani Carvajal with a header inside the box and the Real Madrid right-back netted a late winner to clinch all three points for the LaLiga EA SPORTS leaders.

Los Blancos sit top of the table with 51 points, two points above second-placed Girona, while Almeria sit bottom of the standings, having registered no win in 21 games thus far.