Real Madrid's first game of 2025, against Valencia, will be remembered for a long time. It had every element you could ask in a thriller movie, one with a happy ending at the end, but also every setback imaginable: letting in a goal in the first 30 minutes, missing a penalty, ruling out a goal by a millimetric offside, playing the last 10 minutes with ten players... and then coming back with a minute in the injury time with two goals by Modrić and Bellingham, ending 1-2. And the match could have ended 2-2 after Valencia's final shot miraculously didn't enter Courtois' goal.
There's a lot to talk about the game, including decisions by the referee: some people believe Hugo Duro's first goal for Valencia should have been ruled out as there had been a previous foul against Rodrygo in the same play, while many don't understand why the penalty wasn't repeated, as both the keeper and a Valencia player seem to miss the line.
However, what most people talk about is about the direct red line that Vinícius saw for assaulting Dimitrievski, Valencia's goalkeeper. After a play, Dimitrievski seems to touch Vini's braids. Then, the Brazilian player responds by jumping into Dimitrievski neck. The Macedonian player then drops to the floor, and after checking on VAR, the referee expelled Vinícius.
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When he saw the card, Vinícius went berserk, and had to be pushed out by Rudiger. He later apologised, saying "I'm sorry, thank you team", with emojis of two fingers, likely implying that Valencia will probably be relegated this season.
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It was the second time Vinícius Jr. get expelled in the seven years he's been playing in Madrid. Luckily for Real Madrid, what could have been their most bitter match in a long time, was course corrected in the final fifteen minutes, with two goals by Luka Modrić and Jude Bellingham, winning the game playing with 10 players.
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