MADRID, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Real Madrid's players were furious with themselves after making a foolish mistake that gifted Getafe a 1-0 win at the Bernabeu to further erode their advantage at the top of the Primera Liga on Sunday.
When winger Arjen Robben thought he had scored for Real
midway through the second half, a large number of players ran to
the corner to celebrate with him despite the fact that the
linesman's flag was up and the referee had not awarded a goal.
Raul had been in an offside position in the build up to the
goal and Getafe saw their chance.
Visiting defender David Belenguer took a quick free kick to
launch a four-against-two counter-attack that ended with Nigeria
striker Ikechukwu Uche beating Iker Casillas. It was Real's
first home defeat in the league this season.
'They have scored a goal against us like in a match for
four-year-olds,' Real midfielder Guti told reporters afterwards.
'We can't afford to lose games in this way.'
Real sports director Predrag Mijatovic said Getafe should
have been called back.
'The referee could have stopped the move because we had a
lot of players celebrating. Perhaps, in these circumstances, he
should have stopped play,' he told Canal Plus television.
Getafe president Angel Torres disagreed. 'Football is for
the smart ones. To say Real lost because of the referee is
laughable because the whole of Spain saw what happened on the
television.'
The defeat means second-placed Barcelona, who hammered
bottom club Levante 5-1 at the Nou Camp, are now just two points
behind the leaders.
Real have let slip a nine-point lead since the end of
January with three defeats from their last four league games,
while Barca appear to be gathering a head of steam.
The return from the African Nations Cup of Cameroon striker
Samuel Eto'o, who netted a hat-trick against Levante, and Lionel
Messi's recovery from injury have been key to their resurgence.
The Argentina forward scored one and set up two on Sunday.
'Of course the league is wide open. Barcelona hold their
destiny in their own hands now but so do we. We will keep on
fighting,' said Real coach Bernd Schuster.
'Things are happening to us in games that we don't deserve
but we need to look forward. We need to prove we are a team in
the good times and now.'
