VAR report shows Real Madrid-Barcelona discrepancies: LaLiga teams and the video referee

LaLiga heads into the March break to a familiar soundtrack: Real Madrid and Barcelona once again trading accusations over refereeing decisions. The latest to weigh in was Enric Masip, a member of Barcelona’s sporting commission, who claimed that VAR is applied differently depending on the club. “I’m always concerned about refereeing, because the same standard isn’t applied,” he said. But the data from this season tells a different story: interventions from the VOR have gone more often against Madrid (with a balance of –7) than Barcelona (+2 in their favor).

VAR continues to be used as a rhetorical weapon between clubs, despite being designed to assist referees, reduce errors on the field, and make the game fairer. “Saying Madrid beat Atlético because of the referees would be partisan and careless, but there were decisions that, had VAR intervened, could have changed the match. If it had happened at Camp Nou, maybe VAR steps in. And sometimes they say: ‘But it happens there too.’ For one here, there are eight there,” Masip argued, once again using VAR as a point against Madrid. The numbers, however, do not support that claim.

So far this season, VAR has intervened 18 times in Barcelona games – ten in their favor and eight against. In contrast, in Real Madrid matches it has intervened just three times in their favor and ten against. That leaves Barcelona with a +2 balance, while Madrid sits at –7. The impact of those interventions is also key. Without VAR, Madrid would have earned two additional points against Girona (a Mbappé goal ruled out for handball) and three more against Osasuna (a penalty given against Thibaut Courtois and a goal awarded to Raúl García after review). Barcelona, meanwhile, would have gained just one extra point against Real Sociedad, where a Fermín goal was disallowed due to a prior foul by Dani Olmo on Takefusa Kubo. The numbers suggest that VAR has corrected errors more often to Madrid’s detriment than Barcelona’s.

Across the league, the balance of VAR decisions varies widely. While Madrid has the highest number of interventions against (10), it does not have the worst overall balance. That distinction belongs to Real Betis, with a –8 differential (nine decisions against, just one in their favor). At the other end, Girona boasts the best balance at +6 (seven in their favor, one against). Mallorca has benefited the most from VAR overall, with 11 favorable interventions, followed by Athletic Club and Barcelona with 10 each.

A closer look at specific incidents further complicates the narrative. Real Madrid and Atlético have had the most goals disallowed by VAR, with four each. Meanwhile, Barcelona, Alavés, Girona, Osasuna, and Rayo Vallecano have seen the most goals validated (two each). Athletic Club and Getafe lead in goals disallowed for their opponents (three), while Barcelona, Mallorca, and Madrid have each seen two goals awarded to their rivals after VAR review.

Penalty decisions also show clear disparities. VAR has helped award five penalties each to Sevilla and Athletic Club – the highest in the league – while Betis, Celta, Rayo, and Real Sociedad have not benefited from a single additional penalty via review. As for red cards, Mallorca stands out: it has received the most dismissals following VAR intervention (three), but the system has also led to four red cards for their opponents.

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