Watch: Real Madrid teenager angrily kicks the ball into the stands during 5-2 loss to Atletico
Real Madrid suffered their first defeat under Xabi Alonso this season as they succumbed to a 5-2 defeat at the hands of cross-town rivals Atletico Madrid.
The Spanish giants were completely outplayed from start to finish, failing to conjure any real momentum. The defensive lapses were particularly evident as Diego Simeone’s team plucked out the team’s weaknesses one by one.
Naturally, Real Madrid players were frustrated with the way the team performed at Riyadh Air Metropolitano and it was clearly evident through Franco Mastantuono’s actions.
Mastantuono kicks the ball at the crowd
In the 90th minute, after a foul call he strongly disagreed with, the young Argentine midfielder lashed out by kicking the ball toward the Metropolitano crowd.
The fact that several balls were being thrown onto the field from the sidelines after Antoine Griezmann’s goal sparked the angry reaction from the teenage wonderkid playing his first derby.
The act earned him a yellow card and triggered a brief confrontation between players from both sides, though it quickly settled and no fans were hurt.
Mastantuono had entered the match with 20 minutes remaining but struggled to make any positive impact. He failed to register a shot on target, misplaced passes, and looked off the pace as Madrid’s second half unravelled.
Adding to Madrid’s misery, star defender Eder Militao picked up an ankle injury in the third minute after a heavy collision with Alexander Sorloth.
Although he initially continued, Militao was forced off at halftime, leaving his availability for the upcoming Champions League trip to Almaty in doubt.
With Antonio Rudiger also injured and Raul Asencio still yet to find his feet, Real Madrid could be in for a rough October and the onus will be on Xabi Alonso to fix the defensive woes in the team before more teams start to fully expose them.