'It Was Just A Knock': Barcelona Loanee Comments On Vinicius Jr's Collision In Real Madrid's 2-2 Draw Against Elche

Real Madrid faced off against Elche on Sunday night, resulting in a late 2-2 draw. The match erupted with controversy after Real Madrid player Vinicius Jr. collided with Elche goalkeeper Inaki Pena in the buildup to Jude Bellingham's late equalizer.

The goalkeeper was knocked out and was bleeding; however, no foul was given, and the goal was counted, resulting in a draw. Following the match, Inaki Pena initially downplayed the situation to stop any controversy. Speaking to Moviestar+, the Barcelona loanee calmly explained how things went about and ended any speculations regarding it.

He explained, "He shoots, I stop it, and because of the inertia, he catches me on the nose with his knee. It’s a shame the rebound fell to them, but in the end, it was just a knock, nothing more. It’s a natural part of the game."

However, after reviewing the footage of the collision, the Barcelona loanee changed his initial stance.

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Inaki Pena Reverses His Stance, Claims Vinicius Foul

In his press conference, the goalkeeper corrected his previous remarks and questioned VAR's decision to let the goal stand. He explained, "He shoots, tries to go for the rebound, but on the second play, he doesn't let me participate because he knocks me out. For me, it is a foul, but if the referee goes to VAR and says it's not a foul, there's nothing we can do."

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Elche Manager Reflects Inaki's Frustrations

Manager Sarabia shared that he believed his team deserved more than a draw against Real Madrid, as the last goal should have been disallowed.

He ranted, "No, I’m not happy, not at all. I already told the players I was gutted, and when I saw the decisive calls, I’m even more so. The foul before the second goal (for Madrid) wasn’t a foul at all. What’s more, it was a counter-attack that could have made it 3-1. And then Vinicius doesn’t touch the ball; it hits Inaki Pena in the face. Inaki Pena didn’t see the play. Vinicius hits him in the face; that’s why his face is like that. It’s a clear foul.”

The manager further shared that it was gutting for them to return home with 1 point on the table despite being the better team in the match.