The referee was overturned by VAR three times, casting doubt on the quality of his decisions. ..Continue Reading
The most talked-about moment occurred early on, when Soto Grado awarded a penalty to Real Madrid after a challenge involving Lamine Yamal and Vinicius Jr.
The call sparked widespread debate across Spain, with many arguing it was a clear error.
Less than two minutes into the game, Vinicius fell in the box, prompting Soto Grado to point to the spot.
VAR quickly stepped in, revealing that the Real Madrid forward had actually initiated the contact.
Footage showed Vinicius attempting a shot but connecting with Yamal’s foot instead of the reverse.
This led to Soto Grado being summoned to the pitch-side monitor, where he reversed his initial decision.
During the review, the exchange between the VAR officials and Soto Grado highlighted the correction.
“Okay, Cesar, we’re going to show you two images. In them, you can see Lamine putting his foot down first, and it’s Vinicius who hits him from behind.”
After watching the footage, the referee admitted the error. “Pause it at the moment when Lamine puts his foot down. Okay… there’s no foul there.”
Soto Grado then confirmed the revised ruling: “The foul is by Vini, who hits Lamine’s foot from behind.
“Lamine doesn’t foul Vinicius, so I’m going to give a neutral bounce. I’m going to call the foul because Vini hits Lamine. The foul is correct.”
This incident set the tone for a match filled with intensity and disputes.
The drama continued late on, as Pedri’s sending off reignited tempers.
A confrontation between Vinicius and Yamal escalated tensions, culminating in a bench-clearing clash.
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