Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe received a straight red card at the 38th minute of the La Liga game between the side coached by Carlo Ancelotti and Alaves. A few minutes after the visitors scored the opening goal of the day with French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, the former PSG striker challenged Alaves’ Antonio Blanco with a shocking tackle that led the VAR intervening, and the referee decided to send Mbappe directly to the dressing room with a straight red card.
Apart from the disappointing performance of the French star, Real Madrid fans should also worry about the future implications of this red card as it could also make Mbappe miss the Copa del Rey final on April 26 against FC Barcelona.
“Kylian isn’t a violent lad for sure; he’s said sorry, he’s aware of the mistake he made,” assistant coach Davide Ancelotti, son head coach Carlo Ancelotti, said after the game, per ESPN. “It’s a clear red-card challenge, and he’s suffered the consequences.
“All the little fouls they committed on him made him react in that way. It wasn’t the right way, I’m not justifying it, but that’s what happened.”
That could happen if the referee writes down in his post-game report that Mbappe’s tackle was a “serious offense” against the Alaves player, resulting in a multi-game suspension. If he gets a four-game ban or more, he would miss the final. According to the rules of the Spanish FA, only the bans that are effective for more than four games can be applied to the cup games, and in this case for the Copa del Rey final that will take place in Sevilla on April 26 between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.
According to Opta, Mbappe is now the second Real Madrid striker to receive a red card in the first half of a La Liga match in the entire 21st century after Ruud van Nistelrooy against Atletico de Madrid in 2008. The Frenchman is having a strong first season at Real Madrid as, up to now, he already scored 32 goals in 47 games in all competitions, matching the goal tally set by Cristiano Ronaldo in his debut season at Real Madrid, but the red card received against Alaves can be already considered as the lowest point of Mbappe’s career at Madrid, and one that, in time, could have huge implications on the final.
CBS Sports will update this story as more information becomes available.
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