Alaves coach questions Vinicius incident after Real Madrid defeat – ‘It was either a penalty or second yellow’ | OneFootball

Alaves were left to reflect on a night of fine margins after their 1-2 defeat to Real Madrid, a match that hinged on key moments and sparked debate long after the final whistle. 

Despite pushing the visitors hard and briefly restoring parity, they ultimately walked away empty-handed.

Speaking to DAZN, Alaves head coach Eduardo Coudet addressed the incident that quickly became the centre of post-match discussion, which was a possible penalty involving Vinicius Jr. that Real Madrid themselves also highlighted. 

From Coudet’s perspective, the decision could easily have gone another way. Assessing the situation, he said, 

“It was either a penalty or a second yellow card for Vinicius. We always see everything in our favour, but it’s the referees who have to decide.” 

Could have, would have…

Beyond the controversy, Coudet was more concerned with what his side failed to do after their equaliser. 

Summing up his feelings, he admitted, “It’s a shame. I’m left with a bad taste in my mouth after having made a big effort and putting Madrid in trouble. 

“In these games, you have to finish them off, and we couldn’t do that. But the team is doing well, and we have to keep working,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Alaves midfielder Antonio Blanco repeated those sentiments, focusing on the small lapses that proved costly. 

Reflecting on the performance, he pointed to concentration and decision-making in decisive areas. As he explained, 

“The team made a great effort, but on two occasions when we lost focus, they scored two goals. 

“We knew we had to watch them because they have very fast players up front. We lacked a bit of composure in the final third to score the goal.”

The Vinicius incident

Blanco chose not to dwell too much on the penalty appeal involving Vinicius in the closing stages, admitting the speed of the play made it difficult to judge. Addressing the incident cautiously, he said, 

“It all happened very quickly, and I don’t know if there was contact or not. If they didn’t call it, it’s because there was no contact. We’ll have to watch the replay.”

On a more personal note, the match carried added significance for Blanco, who faced the club where he spent part of his formative years. 

“It’s always special to play against Real Madrid. Now I’m focused on Alaves and I want to keep adding minutes in what I hope will be an important year,” he concluded.