Immediate Reaction: Real Madrid Femenino 1-1 Deportivo Alaves

Real Madrid Femenino drew 1-1 today with Deportivo Alaves in the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano. Nahikari Garcia scored the equalizer in the 32nd minute.

Las Blancas started the match poorly. They were poor on the ball and it directly led to an Alaves goal in the third minute. Olga Carmona played a heavy pass to Teresa, who miscontrolled it. Alaves broke at pace and Maite Oroz was unable to clear a cross and it fell to Alba Aznar. She made no mistake and put Alaves in front.

Real Madrid continued to struggle in the early stages but started to put together some better attacks as the half progressed and the match became more transitional. Las Blancas found an equalizer in the 32nd minute via the head of Nahikari Garcia. Real Madrid played a short corner and Claudia Zornoza flighted the ball to Nahhikari, who flicked her header into the back of the net to equalize.

Las Blancas started the second half on the front foot. They were much better at playing through Alaves and finding ways into the final third. In the 55th minute, Athenea and Caroline Moller Hansen came on for Lorena Navarro and Teresa. Las Blancas were unable to dominate as they did in the early stages of the half and the match became chaotic and transitional. Real Madrid put together a dangerous spell toward the end of the match but it was too little too late and the match ended in a draw.

• 3’ Teresa lost the ball and Alaves counter attacked clinically. Maite Oroz was unable to clear the ball and Alba Aznar converted to give Alaves an early lead.

• 18’ Zornoza lofted a ball over the top to Esther. She fired a half-volley but it was saved.
• 19’ Rocio played a direct pass to Lorena Navarro in the box. It fell to Nahikari, who slipped when she shot. Her shot deflected off a defender and into the hands of the Alaves keeper.
• 32’ Real Madrid equalized after a short corner routine resulted in Zornoza crossing to Nahikari. The forward flicked her header into the back of the net to tie it up.

• 33’ Las Blancas’ pressure turned over Alaves in the final third. Lorena played Maite Oroz through on goal but she curled her shot wide of the post.
• 42’ Lice Chamorro cut past Lucia and passed to Alba, who nearly gave Alaves the lead again.
• 45+2’ Zornoza switched the point of attack to an unmarked Olga Carmona in the 18-yard box. Olga drove toward goal and shot but it was saved by the keeper.
• 46’ Lucia took her defender on and swung a cross into the area. A sliding Nahikari couldn’t reach it. The pass made its way through to Esther but she lifted it over the goal.
• 53’ Ivana Andres got on the end of a corner and flicked her header right at the keeper.
• 60’ Olga played a great ball to substitute Caroline Moller Hansen. Her attempted cross ricocheted toward the near post. Cris Cornejo reacted quickly and made the save.
• 75’ Maite Oroz played a through ball down the right and Kenti Robles swung it into the box. Esther headed it off the crossbar and Moller’s follow-up half-volley was saved.
• 82’ Rocio connected on a corner kick but the shot was tame.
• 85’ Ane Miren was one versus one with Misa and sprayed her shot wide.
• 89’ Esther put the ball in the back of the net but the flag was up for offside.
• 90’ With the last chance of the match, Athenea curled a shot toward the top corner of the goal and it smacked off the crossbar.

Las Blancas play Villareal after the international break. Real Madrid will travel to Valencia to take on the Yellow Submarine the weekend of December 4.