'He knocks me out!' - Inaki Pena calls foul on Vinicius Jr for Real Madrid equaliser after collision leaves goalkeeper with bloody nose

Elche had Madrid on the ropes, leading twice and defending with discipline, when a late scramble inside the box changed the shape of the night. As Vinicius attacked a loose ball in the 87th minute, he crashed knee-first into goalkeeper Pena’s face, sending the keeper to the turf with a bloody nose. Play continued, Madrid recycled possession, and Bellingham buried the rebound for 2-2, sparking immediate protests from Elche players.

At first, Pena himself downplayed the incident, still dazed as he spoke minutes after the final whistle. “He shoots, I stop it, and with the momentum, it hits me in the nose. Bad luck. It’s part of the game. It was just a blow, nothing more,” he said in his initial interview.

Elche manager Eder Sarabia, however, made it clear he believed the referee missed a decisive moment. “Vinicius doesn’t touch the ball, it hits Pena in the face. It’s a clear foul,” he insisted.

What looked like a moment of misfortune soon spiralled into a larger debate as Pena’s own assessment changed once he saw the replay.

Back in the dressing room, after watching video of the collision, the Elche shot-stopper realised what had actually happened and that the blow he received was not incidental.

In his press conference he corrected his earlier remarks stating: "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," the 26-year-old said.

The change in tone reflected the frustration in the Elche camp. They believed they had earned more than a point and that Madrid’s equaliser should never have stood.

The draw, however, keeps Elche steady in the standings. After 13 matches, they sit 11th in La Liga, continuing to exceed expectations despite the disappointment of dropping two points so late. Their organisation, fight and attacking efficiency once again underlined why many consider them one of the most exciting newly promoted sides in the league.

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Sarabia's frustration with the officiating was immediate. He pointed to two moments that he believed “conditioned the final result” - a missed foul in the build-up to Madrid’s first equaliser, and the collision involving Vinicius.

“No, I’m not happy, not at all,” he said. “I already told the players I was gutted, and when I saw the decisive calls, I’m even more so.”

He further added: “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.”

Sarabia’s irritation extended beyond a single decision. "When you play against Real Madrid, you do so many things, you take the lead twice, and then you feel that there were factors that influenced the final result, it makes you angry.” 

Sarabia's newly-promoted side have delivered some impressive results: draws against Atletico Madrid, Real Betis and Sevilla, competitive performances against every top-six side, and a current mid-table position far above preseason expectations.

As Sarabia himself puts it: “Everything starts from bravery… we have an idea, and we will die with that idea.”

His players share the same conviction. Captain Pedro Bigas says the team finally feels “in control, even against the biggest teams,” while striker Rafa Mir highlights the “freedom within structure” that has allowed Elche to thrive, and allowed him to net four goals this season.

With upcoming fixtures against Girona, Mallorca and Rayo Vallecano, Elche have the chance to consolidate their impressive start and push closer to the top half.