Sergio Arribas scored a stoppage-time penalty as Real Madrid Castilla beat Barcelona Atletic 3-0 in the third division playoffs on Sunday to keep their chances of promotion to the Spanish second tier alive.
Arribas kept his cool to fire home from the spot in the 95th minute after goals from Carlos Dotor and former Barca youngster Iker Bravo had cancelled out the Catalan side’s 4-2 lead from the first leg and ensure the game finished 5-4 on aggregate.
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In the aftermath of the winning goal, as the players celebrated in the stands with supporters at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium, the fencing gave way, with fans falling on top of the Madrid youngsters.
Several supporters had to be attended to by the medical team at the ground, but there have been no serious injuries reported.
Madrid, who are coached by club legend Raul Gonzalez, will now meet Eldense over two legs for a spot in the Segunda Division next season, while Rafa Marquez’s Barca will prepare for another campaign in the Spanish third tier.
The two-legged tie between Madrid and Barca’s reserve teams, dubbed the “Mini Clasico,” was not short of drama.
Two late goals from Luismi Cruz in an entertaining first leg gave Barca a two-goal lead to defend in the Spanish capital on Sunday, but Dotor’s 21st-minute goal brought Los Blancos back into the game.
Despite that setback, Barca weathered the Madrid storm and were the better side at the start of the second half. They enjoyed the majority of the possession but were wasteful in the final third, with winger Estanis Pedrola guilty of missing a great chance.
The tie swung with the introduction of Bravo midway through the second period. The 18-year-old striker, on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, spent 11 years at Barcelona‘s La Masia academy before leaving for Germany in 2021.
However, he showed no empathy towards his former club as he made it 2-0 on the night, 4-4 on aggregate, with a brilliant header in the 78th minute, celebrating by heading down the touchline and thumping the Madrid badge on his shirt.
With the game heading for extra-time, there was one final twist when referee Cid Camacho pointed to the spot deep into added time after ruling that defender Alpha Dionkou had handled the ball while defending a corner.
Incensed, the Barca players argued that Dionkou had been pushed first, but the penalty stood and captain Arribas, who has made 14 appearances for Madrid’s first team, made no mistake from 12 yards.
