Friday’s Mbappé shock stemmed from an incident in the 88th minute, when he went down inside the six-yard box following a fine solo run and a challenge from Girona centre-back Vitor Reis. His opponent struck him in the face with his elbow, leaving Mbappé requiring three stitches.
Despite the clear contact, referee Javier Alberola Rojas saw no reason to point to the spot, and the VAR did not overturn his decision—a double call that infuriated the Madrid bench. Coach Álvaro Arbeloa fumed, “I don’t understand why the VAR didn’t intervene. If he feels like speaking up, he does—and if not, he stays silent.”
Real have complained about officiating before, most recently after the first-leg loss to Bayern. Two calls by English referee Michael Oliver sparked controversy then. The most controversial call involved Jonathan Tah’s challenge on Mbappé, a studs-up tackle on the Achilles tendon that merited only a yellow card. “I don’t know how Tah avoided a red card for that foul; it’s impossible to understand,” Arbeloa fumed after the final whistle.
The dropped point allowed league leaders FC Barcelona to open up a nine-point gap with just seven rounds remaining, effectively settling the title race.