According to reports, only 10 first-team players were available… that’s it. Carlo Ancelotti sat on the bench at the Santiago Bernabeu in one of his last matches, with the mission practically accomplished. He only had to use nine of his available players (only Jesús Vallejo remained on the bench) and send two young players onto the field to prevent Barcelona from winning the title.

The strange situation looming over Real Madrid left no room for maneuvering… until finally, an unexpected demand arose from the survivors in the team’s lineup.

A cross from Fran García, a header from Vallejo—who hadn’t played since September (after 50 games and 232 days)—and an impossible final strike from Ramón in the 95th minute! These were three brilliant moments from a night that kept Real Madrid alive in the La Liga title race.

After 39 shots, 26 corners, and Thibaut Courtois’s emergency return to the goal amid the chaos in the final minutes, Real Madrid finally showed in this game that it has the spirit and commitment that had been missing all season.

Courtois, at the forefront of this battle, was the first to send the message from the goal line: “It feels really good because we’re still here. After a huge effort on Sunday and with so many absentees, continuing this fight at the end of a long season is not easy at all. We believed. This badge always asks us to fight until the last moment.”

This reflects Real Madrid’s resilience. Soldiers still defending the fortress after all those casualties that will remain in the fans’ minds for a long time. After 12 absences, including two just on the morning of the match, the Real Madrid team—now made up of survivors—remains in the fight with the extraordinary help of La Fábrica academy.

Ancelotti admitted after the match about the unexpected lineup he sent out with just three games left in the season: “The team tonight was truly amazing. We were able to put in a tremendous effort. If we had this kind of effort in all the games, maybe we would have experienced a better season.”

Perhaps if they had realized this sooner, the season’s path would have changed. But football, which always gives second chances to everyone, has no mercy for those who don’t enter the field correctly. In the end, he added: “Having 12 injured players is a rare occurrence. Still, we were able to compensate for these very important absences with collective spirit.”

The key to the survivors’ redemption lies here: those who, in the worst conditions, chose to keep rowing. Among them, we must mention the eight young players who stepped up to help the senior team. La Fábrica once again proved that, at the decisive moment, it is worthy of trust.