Kylian Mbappe suffered a cut above his eye after a late collision with Verona defender Vitor Reis inside the penalty area. Despite the impact of sending the French star to the field, the referee allowed play to continue and VAR refused to intervene, leaving Real Madrid furious at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Late incident sparks controversy at Bernabeu
Real Madrid were furious after a dramatic incident involving Mbappe during the La Liga clash with Verona. In the 88th minute, the French forward broke into the penalty area before colliding with Manchester City loanee Reus. Mbappe appeared to be caught by the defender’s outstretched arm and elbow, causing him to fall to the ground. The impact left a clear cut above Stryker’s right eye that required medical attention. Despite loud protests from Madrid players and fans, referee Javier Albertola allowed the game to continue. VAR reviewed the incident but decided not to intervene, meaning the hosts were denied a potential late penalty. The match eventually ended in a draw with a score of 1–1.
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Arbeloa is angry with the referee’s decisions
Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa openly criticized the officials after the match and insisted that challenging Mbappé was a clear penalty.
“It’s a fine here and on the moon,” Arbeloa told reporters. “And this is just another one. Another one. It is what we have, it is what it is. Neither I nor anyone else understands it. VAR intervenes when it is convenient, and when it is not convenient, it does not.”
“I already said it yesterday, and you know my opinion. These incidents confirm it. It’s a clear foul. Kylian was called for a foul in the first half which was even less. We have had many problems with the referee. With that, in Mallorca… it’s the same old story.”
what comes next?
Due to this draw, Real Madrid is left six points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona, who also have a game left. That gap could widen before the weekend ends, increasing the pressure on Los Blancos in the title race. Madrid will need to quickly focus on preparing for the decisive Champions League quarter-final clash against Bayern Munich. They will have to travel to the Allianz Arena on Wednesday and bounce back from a 2-1 defeat in the first leg if they are to keep their European hopes alive.
