“Controversial VAR Decisions Stir Debate as Real Madrid Clinches Last-Minute Victory Against Almeria”

In a dramatic turn of events, Real Madrid secured a 3-2 victory over

last-place Almeria, overcoming a two-goal deficit with the assistance

of three contentious VAR decisions during the second half.

The closely contested calls, particularly regarding

handball incidents, sparked widespread debate and criticism,

extending beyond Almeria, who missed an opportunity to end their 21-game winless streak.

Barcelona-based Mundo Deportivo’s front-page headline labeled it

a “robbery,” with complaints echoing from Barcelona coach

Xavi Hernández, who expressed disbelief at certain aspects of the game.

Refereeing controversies between Barcelona and Madrid are not uncommon,

with both teams accusing each other of favoritism. Real Madrid’s television commentators defended the

VAR decisions, asserting their correctness, while coach Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged Almeria’s frustration but maintained the calls were accurate.

The turning point in the match occurred when

Madrid, trailing 2-0, was awarded a penalty, had an

Almeria goal disallowed, and secured the 2-2 equalizer after

VAR intervention on a Vinícius Júnior goal initially deemed a handball.

Despite the Spanish league releasing audio clips of VAR discussions,

Almeria argued that the referee wasn’t shown the most relevant image angles and claimed a potential foul on one

of their players was not adequately examined. Former referee Alfonso Pérez Burrull described the

VAR decisions as “borderline actions with a lot of interpretation.”

The aftermath of the controversial match is expected to

fuel ongoing discussions in Spanish football circles, although the final result stands unchanged,

with Real Madrid continuing their title pursuit and Almeria still seeking their first victory.

Almeria players, including Marc Pubill and Gonzalo Melero, expressed

their frustration, with Pubill suggesting that someone decided they couldn’t win and Melero feeling that the game was taken away from them.

Coach Gaizka Garitano, unable to find words to summarize the situation, opted for caution in his statements to avoid potential sanctions.

Almeria indicated their dissatisfaction by announcing they wouldn’t

publish the match report, emphasizing the clarity of what transpired.

Sport Today