Two blunders by Sporting’s goalkeeper put Madrid on track to qualify for the Champions League | Football | Sports

Real Madrid, the Spanish team that invested the most this summer in search of a competitive leap that will bring it closer to Barça and the best clubs in Europe, left this afternoon at the Aurelio Pereira stadium in Alcochete, on the outskirts of Lisbon, the feeling that it still has a long way to go. Despite the signings with which it has reinforced itself for this season, the team led by Alberto Toril, with a slow and disjointed game, struggled to overcome Sporting de Portugal. They managed to do so thanks to two mistakes by the local goalkeeper, Seabert, the last of them in the 95th minute, when the ball slipped through her hands after a soft cross from Olga Carmona. With a few seconds left, Leupolz caught the loose ball in the area and put it in the net to put the Champions League qualifying tie on track. A draw next Thursday at the Alfredo Di Stéfano (8:00 p.m., Real Madrid TV) would be enough for Real Madrid to be among the 16 best teams in Europe for the fourth consecutive year.

Although the Whites came into the match with the confidence and good image they left in the two League games by beating Espanyol (5-0) and Betis (0-3), the clash was a pain for Madrid, uncomfortable from start to finish due to the weight of the tie – being left out of the Champions League would be a failure – in a season in which the club, still in search of its first title since the women’s section was created in 2020, has signed eight internationals, four Spanish and four foreign.

Right from the start of the match, a mistake on a throw-in in Sporting’s half ended with Brittany Raphino going one-on-one with Misa after Toletti gave a short ball to centre-back Lakrar. The American forward got ahead of the defence and drove the ball alone from the centre of the field into the Whites’ area. With the whole goal in front of her, as the Canary Island goalkeeper tried to close the space for her, Raphino let the ball slip out of bounds. Just a minute later, the Sporting striker missed another clear shot after Leupolz lost control in a change of direction.

Madrid managed to calm down afterwards, especially when the ball passed through Caroline Weir’s feet. The Scot, who has finally recovered from the ligament tear that kept her out for most of last season, is now the player with the most ability to link up the team and give rhythm and verticality to the game. The Whites, who had many difficulties in the final third to threaten Sporting’s goal, at least took control of the match. The goal came in the most unexpected way, with Seabert’s first mistake. The goalkeeper, instead of waiting in the area to catch a ball into space directed by Leupolz towards Athenea del Castillo, went on an adventure. When she realised that she could not stop the ball with her hands, she tried to control it with her chest, but the Cantabrian winger stole the ball from her and scored easily into an empty net.

On the stroke of half-time, after a period in which Madrid had spent long periods of time in possession, Sporting, runners-up in the Portuguese league last season, found the equaliser with a penalty committed by Misa when she brought down American striker Brittany Raphino. After the penalty was converted by Andreia Bravo, the second half was even and without any great chances until Seabert’s second mistake and Leupolz’s goal on the last minute relieved Real. Despite the difficulties in the game, the victory leaves Madrid one step away from the group stages of the Champions League.