Real Madrid suffered a devastating blow to their La Liga title hopes on Tuesday night, as they were defeated 2-0 by Real Sociedad at the Reale Arena. The defeat leaves Real Madrid 14 points behind leaders Barcelona with just six games remaining.
Real Madrid started the match brightly, but they could not create any clear-cut chances. Real Sociedad took the lead in the 47th minute through Takefusa Kubo, who latched onto a shocking pass from Militao (which was intended for Courtios ) and fired past Thibaut Courtois.
Real Madrid were then dealt a major blow in the 60th minute when Dani Carvajal was sent off for a second yellow card. Real Sociedad made their numerical advantage count, as Ander Barrenetxea doubled their lead in the 76th minute with a through ball from David Silva, finishing off a flowing move that started in midfield.
Real Madrid tried to get back into the game, but they were unable to find the back of the net. The defeat is a major blow to their title hopes, as it leaves them with an almost impossible task of catching Barcelona.
Real Madrid will now need to focus on finishing the season as strongly as possible and securing a top-four finish. They will also need to look ahead to next season, and make sure that they are well-prepared to challenge for the title once again.
What it means for the title race:
The defeat leaves Real Madrid 14 points behind leaders Barcelona with just six games remaining. It is now mathematically possible for Real Madrid to win the title, but it would require a remarkable collapse from Barcelona.
What the managers said after the match:
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said: “We are very disappointed with the result. We started the game well, but we made a mistake in the second half and we were punished. We also had a man sent off, which made it very difficult for us. We need to pick ourselves up and focus on the next game.”
Real Sociedad manager Imanol Alguacil said: “I am very proud of my team. We played a great game and we deserved to win. We were very clinical in front of goal and we took our chances. We also defended very well and we never gave Real Madrid a chance to get back into the game.
