Spectacular El Clásico. Referee denies controversial penalty to Real Madrid

Real Madrid and Barcelona delivered a true spectacle for fans in the fourth El Clásico of the current season. As has almost become tradition, this clash was not without its share of refereeing controversy.

The match ended with a stunning 4-3 victory for the Catalans. For Los Blancos, Kylian Mbappé netted a hat-trick, and the first half featured a rare occurrence—six goals scored in just 45 minutes, something that hadn’t happened in 82 years.

The scoreline could have been even higher, but the referee refused to award a highly controversial penalty against Real Madrid. In the 80th minute, after a shot from Ferran Torres, the ball struck Aurélien Tchouaméni’s hand. The shot was on target, but the official sided against Barcelona, judging that the Frenchman didn’t have time to move his arm out of the way.

This decision sparked heated protests from the Blaugrana players, but ultimately did not affect the final outcome. With three rounds left in the season, Barcelona lead Los Merengues by seven points and could clinch the La Liga title in their very next match.