Real Madrid recover to beat Almeria after VAR controversy

IMAGE: Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior scores their second goal. Photograph: Isabel Infantes/Reuters

A Dani Carvajal strike in the ninth-minute of stoppage time rescued Real Madrid, earning them a 3-2 comeback win at home against bottom side Almeria on Sunday in a frantic LaLiga tussle that was marked by VAR controversy.

Lowly Almeria, who remained winless after 21 LaLiga matches this season, grabbed a two-goal lead with goals from Largie Ramazani and Edgar Gonzalez in the first half.

But Real Madrid reduced the deficit in the 56th minute with a Jude Bellingham penalty awarded for handball after a lengthy VAR check.

Almeria had a Sergio Arribas effort ruled out a little later after another long VAR check, with the referee Francisco Maeso ruling there was an infringement in the build-up when Almeria midfielder Dion Lopy caught Bellingham in the face.

Five minutes later, Maeso first ruled out Real Madrid's equaliser for a Vinicius Jr handball before awarding the goal after deciding it was off the shoulder following another VAR review.

Nine minutes into added time, as Real made a late push, Bellingham lifted a cross to Carvajal who tapped in the winner at the far post.

Real climbed to the top of the LaLiga standings on 51 points, two ahead Girona who host Sevilla later on Sunday.

IMAGE: Werder Bremen's Romano Schmid in action with Bayern Munich's Raphael Guerreiro. Photograph: Leonhard Simon/Reuters

Werder stun Bayern

Bayern Munich slumped to a 1-0 home loss to Werder Bremen on Sunday after a Mitchell Weiser goal to stay seven points adrift of leaders Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga title race.

It was Werder's first victory in Munich since 2008 and the champions' second league loss of the campaign.

Bayern have now failed to score in a home league game for the first time since February 2020, ending a run of 65 consecutive home games with at least one goal.

The result leaves them on 41 points in second place with a game in hand. Leverkusen are on 48 following their last-gasp 3-2 win over RB Leipzig on Saturday. VfB Stuttgart are in third place on 34, while Werder are 12th with 20 points.

The hosts, who face Union Berlin in their postponed league game on Wednesday, looked far from fresh following a short training camp in Portugal earlier this week.

"It was a deserved win for Werder," said Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel. "For 70 minutes we did not play as a team that wants to win, to battle for the title."