Real Madrid is performing well with Diomande and is hot on the heels of Barcelona and Atlético
The Ivorian shone with his hard work and dribbling, sealing the Whites' victory with a spectacular goal. Racing, outraged by the “dubious penalty” that made it 0-1, suffered its first loss at El Sardinero against a superior opponent
The Real Madrid is shaping up to be the team everyone expected with Mourinho’s arrival. A cohesive, direct, dynamic, and intense squad from the opening whistle, focused on winning as quickly as possible. That’s exactly how they played at El Sardinero, where Racing had remained undefeated since returning to the First Division. Racing suffered its first home loss with a flimsy “little penalty” that led to the 0-1 score and a stellar performance by Diomande, who has fit in like a glove. With him, Madrid is a stronger team. Let’s face it.
The crowd at El Sardinero was understandably upset by the penalty called on Mbappé in the 10th minute, when Prati got in his way and touched him with his arm. It was minimal contact, but it was enough for VAR not to alert José Luis Munuera, and Kylian converted it to make it 0-1. That’s just how it goes, week after week. The play was decisive because it broke the deadlock, true. But it doesn’t overshadow an excellent first half by Real Madrid across the board—with and without the ball.
El Sardinero is a historic and challenging stadium. Racing sits in a relatively comfortable position thanks to their home-field strength, where players like Zabiri, Canales, and Iñigo Vicente thrive. These are stylish players who connect with the stands and wear down their opponents. That didn’t happen against Mourinho’s team, which dominated the Cantabrians from the start.
Bellingham could have scored earlier with a point-blank header that Agirrezabala saved in true Courtois fashion. And earlier, VAR could have intervened following a stomp on Diomande, though there were few TV replays of the incident. Mbappé scored on that questionable penalty call, Racing responded with a point-blank shot that Thibaut saved in true Courtois fashion, and Madrid took off. The Cantabrian team’s chance came on Bernardo’s only mistake coming off his line. On the counterattack, Mbappé finished like the No. 9 he should be; Güler played a first-time pass on the break, and Bellingham chipped the ball over Agirrezabala to tap it into the empty net. Jude was immense.
Madrid dominated the game. From the start, they played both short and long passes. And Racing wasn’t having a good day either. Mantilla chased down a ball along the goal line and twisted his right knee. The captain was knocked out. Güler could have scored with a shot just beside the post, but it was Diomande who unleashed his powerful right foot. From the edge of the box, following a corner, he fired a low volley that was impossible for Agirrezabala to stop. An excellent goal, on par with his first-half performance. Brilliant and selfless. Mourinho can’t take the Ivorian out of the starting lineup. Let’s see what he does in Athens.
Real Madrid’s dazzling first half
Madrid’s dazzling first half (six shots on goal, a season high so far) didn’t carry over into the second. The Whites switched to the “energy-saving mode” that so infuriates their fans, and Racing grew in confidence, playing with pride and skill. They looked to get behind the defense down the wings to feed Zabiri, who missed the shot when the ball came to him from the left and sent the one from the right high over the bar. Mourinho stood up, furious at the lack of focus. Message received. Possession returned to the visitors. Mbappé could have extended the lead with a diagonal shot that crashed off the post. It appeared he had started from an offside position, so VAR would have disallowed it. Or not. Who knows. José Alberto made substitutions, and with Pablo García, the team regained energy. He shook off Konaté and set up a three-on-two situation that Canales failed to finish well. And the frustration at El Sardinero intensified after a penalty was called for a handball by Tchouaméni—a call that came to nothing after a review by the VAR monitor. It wasn’t a handball, but the stands couldn’t understand why this play was reviewed while Mbappé’s wasn’t. Mou also made substitutions, though he didn’t use up all his changes. He didn’t want to make many more adjustments. Madrid is riding a wave of momentum. Next stop: Athens.
