Scandal unavoidable! Bernal headbutted Yamal, but the red card raised questions
The La Liga match between Betis and Barcelona in Round 9 was marked by another controversial incident. With the Catalans leading 3-2, Lamine Yamal and Facundo Bernal clashed on the pitch. After the Barcelona winger shoved him, the Betis player responded with a headbutt, sending Yamal dramatically crashing to the turf.
Referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea intervened immediately and decided to send Bernal off, showing him a red card. Yamal escaped with a booking. In doing so, the referee deemed the Betis player's actions the more serious offense, despite the confrontation beginning with physical contact between both players.
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Did the referee make the right call? A headbutt directed at an opponent can be deemed aggressive conduct and punished with a red card even without heavy contact. At the same time, Yamal's shove could also have warranted separate action from the referee. However, De Burgos Bengoetxea's decision is certain to spark heated debate.
Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert