In a fiercely contested Madrid derby at the Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid battled to a 1-1 draw, a match overshadowed by a contentious penalty decision.
VAR Controversy Strikes Again: Real Madrid Drop Points Against Atletico
Atletico’s Julian Alvarez converted from the spot after VAR intervention deemed Aurelien Tchouameni’s challenge on Samuel Lino worthy of a penalty.
Real Madrid’s head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, expressed his team’s disappointment post-match, believing they deserved more than a solitary point.
He noted that the penalty incident had a significant impact on the team’s morale. “The team is disappointed because they believe they deserved to win—we were close,”
Ancelotti remarked. “The penalty situation affected the team.”
The match’s officiating was a focal point, especially given the pre-existing tension between Real Madrid and La Liga officials over previous refereeing controversies.
Ancelotti refrained from delving deeply into the penalty debate but emphasized the referee’s proximity to the incident.
“The VAR blew the penalty, [but] the referee was close to the situation and saw what happened,” he stated.
Atletico’s manager, Diego Simeone, while lamenting missed opportunities by his team, supported the referee’s overall performance.
He did, however, express concerns over a challenge by Real’s Dani Ceballos, suggesting it warranted a more severe punishment.
“I thought the referee handled it in the best way he could,” Simeone commented.
“For some people, Ceballos deserved a straight red… At least I think he should have checked it in the VAR.”
The draw maintains Real Madrid’s slender one-point lead over Atlético at the top of La Liga.
With Barcelona poised to close the gap in their upcoming match against Sevilla, the title race remains intensely competitive
