Fans profit from Valverde's missed shot
In the last minutes of the late game in the 13th round of La Liga, Real enjoyed a corner when they were leading 2-3. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois also joined the attack.
After the Vallecano player cleared the ball from Marco Asensio's cross, Valverde came up from the second line and finished with a right footed shot to the right corner of the box. However, the Uruguayan midfielder's shot sent the ball too high over the home goal, flying off the grounds of the Estadio de Vallecas and onto the balcony of the house behind the field. Those watching directly on this balcony were also alarmed.
Shortly after, the apartment's owner put the ball up for sale online for $200 with the caption: "Valverde just kicked the ball at my house. It's a bit dented since it hit the house but still usable. ". There were some people who wanted to buy and ask, and bid up to 280 euros. It is not clear if this fan has sold the ball yet.
Vallecas, inaugurated in 1976 and located in an area of the capital Madrid, is one of the smallest stadiums in La Liga, with a capacity of nearly 14,500 seats, with low stands. This field only has three stands on three sides, the other side borders an apartment block, where the ball from Valverde's shot accidentally strayed into an apartment.
The first half of the match at Vallecas was even, when Luka Modric and Eder Militao scored for Real, while Santi Comesana and Alvaro Garcia scored for Vallecano. The turning point came in the 67th minute, when the host was awarded a penalty and Oscar Trejo made it successfully to seal a 3-2 victory.
The first defeat in La Liga this season left Real in second place and Barca - the team that beat Osasuna in the early match round 14 on November 8 - widened the gap to 5 points. Before the season was paused to make room for the 2022 World Cup, Real also met Cadiz at the Bernabeu on November 10.
Valverde matured from Penarol's youth academy and was promoted to the first team in 2015. A year later, Valverde joined Real, respectively playing for the Castilla reserve team and playing for Deportivo on loan for the next two seasons. . Since 2018, he returned to Real and made a splash last season with 46 appearances in all competitions. The biggest impression of the Uruguayan midfielder was the assist for Vinicius to score the only goal to help Real beat Liverpool in the Champions League final.
This season, Valverde continues to flourish when he currently has eight goals in all competitions, including six in La Liga and two in the Champions League. Coach Carlo Ancelotti once said he would tear his coach and retire early, if Valverde did not score 10 goals this season. The Italian military leader raised the goal for his students to 15 goals, after beating Celtic 5-1 in the final round of the Champions League group stage on November 2.
