Madrid planning to use 'Greenwood defence' to appeal Bellingham's red card

Real Madrid's 2-2 draw with Valencia last La Liga matchday left the final minutes of the game with controversy after a disallowed goal, which saw Bellingham sent off by the referee after a furious complaining reaction.

The player could face a three-match ban but Madrid have reportedly appealed against the sanction imposed on the team's top scorer.  Ancelotti commented after the game that the player was sent off for saying: "it's a f*ck*ng goal".

The 'Daily Mail' has reported that La Liga officials are allegedly confident that the England midfielder's red card will be overturned, as was the case with a red card given to compatriot Mason Greenwood in January in Getafe's match against Rayo Vallecano.

“The task of this disciplinary body is not to re-referee the matches, without determining, where appropriate, the existence of a manifest material error in the referee's description of the action," said The Spanish FA in a statement after the appeal.

“The repeated viewing of the images, in fact, has allowed this Committee to conclude, beyond any doubt, that the action that led to the expulsion did not occur as described by the referee and, ultimately, prove the material error manifest in the referee's report."

In the event of the red card being overturned, Jude Bellingham, scorer of 20 goals for Los Merengues this season, will be available for Carlo Ancelotti's next La Liga game on 10 March at the Santiago Bernabeu against Celta, but before that Madrid face Leipzig in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.