Real Madrid remain perfect through four La Liga games after getting past Real Sociedad on the road, but their latest victory was achieved without Dean Huijsen for an hour after he was shown a controversial red card.
The summer signing took down Spain international teammate Mikel Oyarzabal just inside Madrid’s half, leading the Real Sociedad forward to protest that he was through on goal. Referee Jesús Gil Manzano ran over to show Huijsen a red card—a decision which was met with incredulity by Xabi Alonso and his staff in the technical area.
Éder Militão appeared to be alongside Huijsen to provide cover, with the Spaniard indicating with two fingers that he wasn’t the only player back—something that would disregard Oyarzabal’s claim of being denied a clear goalscoring opportunity. The 20-year-old’s attempt to persuade Manzano were in vein, as he was dismissed without the decision even being referred to VAR.
Madrid went on to win the game with both Huijsen and Alonso giving their reactions to the decision after the match. Alonso said in his post-match press conference that he spoke to Manzano, but said his explanation of the incident was “not convincing.” He also confirmed that Huijsen was deeply unhappy with the decision.
“He was relieved,” Alonso said. “He was angry and relieved with the team’s victory. Yes, these are avoidable actions, because there was a lot of space and Oyarzabal didn’t have the ball under control.
“For me, it was a yellow card because Militao was close by, the ball wasn’t under control, they were 40 metres away.
“After seeing the replay, I haven’t changed my mind. He (the referee) gave me his explanation and I wasn’t convinced, so we’ll leave it at that. From that point on, the context of the game changed, playing practically 60 minutes with one less player.”
Huijsen set for two-match ban
Huijsen chose not to comment publicly and simply thanked the team on Instagram. “Gracias equipo por ser tan buenos os quiero,” he wrote, which translates to “Thank you team for being so good, I love you.” Huijsen is set to be suspended for the club’s next two La Liga games, against Espanyol and Levante, but he will be available to play in the Champions League.
The former Bournemouth man has already been sent off in his short Real Madrid career, with his latest dismissal adding to the red card he received in the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal against Borussia Dortmund. Given Antonio Rüdiger is recovering from a rectus femoris muscle injury, any time Huijsen misses will force Alonso to adapt his team selection to try and maintain their perfect record.
As of the final whistle, Madrid sit five points above rival Barcelona as the Catalans prepare for their home opener at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, home of Barcelona Femení. They will take on Valencia without superstar teenager Lamine Yamal, who aggravated an injury while playing for Spain in midweek.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘His Explanation’—Xabi Alonso Reacts to Controversial Real Madrid Red Card.