SAN FRANCISCO, October 17, (THEWILL) – Spanish football giants Real Madrid suffered their first La Liga defeat of the season as they went down by a lone goal in dismal fashion at home to minnows Cadiz on Saturday.
Newly-promoted Cadiz were intent on rocking the defending champions from the off and started the game with gusto.
Sergio Ramos showed the defender instincts for which he is famous when he came to Madrid’s rescue inside two minutes to hook Cadiz centre forward, Alvaro Negredo’s effort off the line after Madrid’s keeper Thibaut Courtois, the Belgian No. 1, was beaten.
But Negredo’s Man-of-the-Match performance was such that he went close again with a header not too long after. Then, in the 14th minute, Cadiz centre back Juan Cala tested Courtois with a low shot to the bottom corner as the lively visitors kept up the pressure.
That pressure paid off and Alvaro Cervera’s side was rewarded for a brilliant start when Lozano chipped his shot over Madrid’s onrushing goalkeeper who could do little to stop the ball crossing over the line.
Lozano almost doubled his tally just after the half-hour, but Courtois was up to it with a fine save at his near post. Yet, Madrid’s goalkeeper was fortunate to escape mishap when he dropped a cross which no Cadiz attacker could pounce on to punish him for such a howler.
Zinedine Zidane, who cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines in the first 45 minutes, sent in four new players as Madrid stepped up the tempo in the second. Yet, a wayward strike from Vinicius was the closest Los Blancos came to troubling Cadiz early in the second half.
Vinicius should have levelled the scores after the hour, but he headed wide when cleared on goal by Toni Kroos’ left-wing cross. In a drab game by their standards, the German Madrid midfielder Kroos was a bright spark, creating five chances as his team-mates struggled.
Luca Jovic’s introduction looked to have sparked the comeback Zidane’s side desperately needed, yet the substitute’s goal was rightly disallowed for an offside from Madrid’s French forward Karim Benzema. In the 81st minute, Benzema was unfortunate not to put Madrid level when his shot struck the woodwork.
Cadiz held firm to win and join Madrid and Granada on 10 points at the top of the table. It was their first win over the capital club since 1991.
All eyes will be on Madrid’s response when Shakhtar Donetsk are their opponents in the Champions League on Wednesday, while Cadiz are next in action on October 25, when they face Villarreal in La Liga.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
