Controversial penalty appears again in the national derby, Real Madrid player escapes red card and causes controversy

On the evening of May 11, 2025, the 35th round of La Liga ushered in the focus game - the national derby between Barcelona and Real Madrid at home. This game was not only fierce, but also caused widespread discussion due to many controversial penalties.

The game was controversial: Mbappe scored a penalty kick in the third minute of the game, Barcelona goalkeeper Szczesni fouled Mbappe in the penalty area, and referee Alejandro Hernandez awarded the penalty without hesitation. VAR then intervened in the review and confirmed that the penalty was correct.

The focus of the controversy is whether Mbappe is in an offside position before receiving the ball. At that time, Lucas Vazquez's goal of passing was Vinicius, but after the ball was cleared by Kubasi, it happened to fall at Mbappe's feet. Although Mbappe may be in an offside position at first, the referee believed that Kubasi had enough space and time to control the ball, so he decided that his mistakes legalized Mbappe's position.

Former La Liga referee and expert of Assistant Iturard Gonzalez analyzed: "This penalty is very clear, and the only question is Mbappe's initial position. But the referee's judgment is reasonable. He believes that the mistakes of the defensive players make the offensive side legal."

Barcelona questioned the second goal: Did Valverde foul?

Barcelona objected to Real Madrid's second goal, and they believed that Valverde fouled Yamal in the attacking stage.

In response, Iturard said: "Yamar took the initiative to lower his foot and tried to protect the ball, but Valverde accidentally stepped on him. Although Yamal did not make a fake fall, he invaded the opponent's space first, so this action should not be regarded as a foul."

He also emphasized: "This game is extremely challenging for the referee, because although the first two goals are legal, they are easy to cause controversy."

Chu Améni escaped the red card and caused controversy

The game was in the 36th minute and the score was still 3-2. When Barcelona led, Chu Améni knocked down Fermin Lopez in a fight, almost destroying the opponent's chance to score a one-on-one. According to the rules, this is "obvious scoring opportunity is destroyed" and the red card should be shown directly. However, the referee only showed a yellow card to Chu Ameni.

Iturard commented: "This type of penalty depends largely on the referee's subjective judgment, and the boundaries are very blurry. The referee believes that the ball is rolling towards the corner flag, which is why he only gives yellow cards."

However, he also added: "From my personal point of view, this situation tends to be red cards. But as I said, it is a 55-5 decision."