Madrid (AFP)

The "White House" has collapsed: Raphaël Varane and the Madrid defense have multiplied the errors and led Real Madrid straight to their second loss of the season in La Liga Sunday 4-1 in Valencia.

After the initial goal of Karim Benzema (23rd), the Madrid curtain was torn and offered four penalties to Carlos Soler (who transformed three in the 35th, 54th and 63rd).

Raphaël Varane, after his blunders against Manchester City and against Shakhtar Donetsk, once again increased the bill by scoring a goal against his camp (43rd).

Varane (27 years old) allowed Carlos Soler to withdraw and transform his first penalty because he entered the penalty area very slightly before the start of the strike with Lucas Vazquez and Yunus Musah, then scored a goal against his validated camp by video trying to intercept an opposing center.

History is repeating itself, and it is ruthless with the great French international (68 selections).

After two big blunders which had led his people to elimination in the round of 16 return of the last Champions League on the ground of Manchester City in early August (1-2, 2-1), after the goal against his camp scored during of the losing return of the Merengues in the Champions League against Shakhtar Donetsk on October 21 (3-2), Varane is again the ideal culprit.

However, Real Madrid got off to a better start than Valencia, cornered by the defending Spanish champions.

But the Madrilenians lacked realism ... and Valencia, on the contrary, scored twice by having only one shot in the first period!

- VAR sanctions Real -

While the Spanish media have never ceased to emphasize the "gifts" regularly offered by video refereeing to the Merengues, this time, it was VAR that broke Real Madrid.

In the 29th, Lucas Vazquez touches with his arm a cross from Gaya in the area, the penalty is indisputable.

Carlos Soler's attempt at transformation is rejected by Thibaut Courtois, but referee Gil Manzano orders after viewing the video to withdraw the penalty, because Musah on the Valencian side, and Varane and Vazquez on the Madrid side, entered the penalty area before the start of Soler's strike.

Soler decides to strike this second chance himself ... and ends up transforming the penalty (35th).

Ten minutes later, rebelote: Varane tries to cut a cross from Gaya, but sends the ball into his cages.

Courteous, down, can do nothing.

Despite a mess that requires video verification, the goal against his camp Varane is validated (43rd).

- Endless nightmare -

From then on, Real's nightmare never ends: on returning from the locker room, the white defense, completely adrift, still dissociates itself.

By trying to prevent a recovery, Marcelo triggers a new penalty.

Soler sets off, and scores his double (54th).

And to top it off, captain Sergio Ramos, almost irreproachable since the start of the season, touched a ball with his hand in his area, offering a fourth penalty and a hat-trick for Soler (63rd).

Deprived of Eder Militao, but especially Eden Hazard and Casemiro, all positive for the new coronavirus this week, Zinédine Zidane had decided to offer their chance to Isco and Marcelo in the eleven.

A surprising decision, and one which did not help Real Madrid to increase their control in the midfield.

However, Valencia CF was also diminished, deprived of its titular goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen and Mouctar Diakhaby (injured), and Geoffrey Kondogbia, transferred during the week to Atlético Madrid.

The results of the evening are terrible for Real Madrid: the Merengues suffered their second defeat of the season in La Liga, fell to 4th place in the standings ... and may have lost their favorite center forward Karim Benzema, replaced by Mariano Diaz in the 75th and exited grimacing and holding the left adductor.

© 2020 AFP