Real Madrid Edge Sevilla 4-1 Amid VAR Controversy, Elbow Incident Unpunished
SingTao · 3 SOURCES1 day ago2 MIN
Summary
Real Madrid extended their home dominance with a 4-1 victory over Sevilla in La Liga on Sunday, though the match was marred by contentious refereeing decisions that sparked outrage from the visiting side . Arda Guler opened the scoring eight minutes after escaping red card punishment for a suspected elbow on Sevilla's Viti Fernandez, with VAR unable to intervene due to insufficient camera angles and low-quality replays . Kylian Mbappe delivered a man-of-the-match performance, scoring twice including a spectacular Zidane turn finish and converting a penalty as Madrid moved to 21 points, six behind Barcelona . Sevilla interim manager and former players alike condemned the officiating, with former La Liga referee Ituralde calling the VAR setup "unacceptable" for a five-star venue equipped with 32 cameras .
Key Points
- Guler elbow incident occurred in the 22nd minute when he appeared to strike Fernandez during a tussle near the center circle; VAR spent nearly three minutes reviewing before no action was taken
- The resulting attack led to Guler scoring in the 30th minute, capitalizing on Endrick's cross to curl a left-footed shot into the net
- Mbappe doubled the lead in the 37th minute after a move that started with defender Ishmael Konate's alleged foul on Sevilla striker Rob Uli in a one-on-one situation—VAR again declined to intervene
- The French forward completed his brace in the 63rd minute from the penalty spot, taking his season tally to 11 goals in 11 appearances across all competitions
- Madrid's victory came without suspended star Vinicius Jr, who serves a four-match ban for hair-pulling in the previous round
Why It Matters
This result has significant implications for the title race, with Madrid now facing a six-point gap to Barcelona just days before the El Clasico showdown . The VAR controversy underscores growing concerns about officiating standards in top-tier European football, particularly at a time when the league is negotiating lucrative broadcasting deals .
This result has significant implications for the title race, with Madrid now facing a six-point gap to Barcelona just days before the El Clasico showdown . The VAR controversy underscores growing concerns about officiating standards in top-tier European football, particularly at a time when the league is negotiating lucrative broadcasting deals .