Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin has noted that his side need to be more effective and better organised in order to avoid refereeing controversy. Los Blancos ran out 3-2 victors over Leganes on Saturday night, which finished with fury from Los Pepineros over several refereeing calls.
Arda Guler was awarded a controversial penalty in the first half, while Jude Bellingham and Raul Asencio avoided punishment in the second for challenges on Diego Garcia and Yan Diomande. Lunin’s view was that a more defensively sound performance would have wrested any polemic from the game.
“I don’t want to talk about the referee’s decisions; we have to win these games without help. I mean, we have to resolve these games by playing well, playing organised, trying not to concede goals. Keep things simple. Winning like this so we don’t get involved in the referee’s world,” he remarked to MD in the mix zone.
Lunin acknowledged that the international break had taken its toll on Real Madrid, and that its impact had been noticed.
“[It was] A lot of suffering. It was important to win because we have to keep getting the three points in every game. But we struggled a bit after the international break. We need to be more alert and organised at the back. We always find our game up front.”
In recent days it has been reported that Real Madrid and Lunin will consider an exit for the Ukrainian in the summer transfer window.
“There are always rumours in every transfer market, twice a year. They’re talking about it every 30 days, and not just about me, but about all the players. It’s normal.”
On Tuesday, Real Madrid host Real Sociedad in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final, and Lunin assured that he wanted to be in goal for the final two games of the tournament.
“I would like, first, to reach the final and, obviously, to play in it. Who doesn’t want to play in a final with Real Madrid?”
So far this season Lunin has been in goal throughout the Copa del Rey, with Thibaut Courtois resting. However it has happened that previously Carlo Ancelotti has brought Courtois back for a semi-final clash against Barcelona and subsequently the final against Osasuna. Los Blancos will face one of Atletico Madrid or Barcelona in the final, so their opponent will test Ancelotti’s resolve one way or another.
