Watch: controversy consumes Madrid-Girona as no penalty called after Mbappe takes elbow in the box
Real Madrid suffered a draw against Girona at the Bernabeu and now their chances of a comeback on Barcelona in La Liga have almost disappeared.
Real Madrid suffered yet another set back in their chase of league leaders, Barcelona on Friday night. They could only manage a draw against Girona, but claimed a penalty just before the 90th minute at the Bernabeu.
To VAR or not to VAR?
After a second half goal from Fede Valverde was cancelled out by a spectacular goal from Lemar, the wind seemed to escape Madrid’s sails. They were desperate to find the go ahead goal but chance after chance went begging.
Kylian Mbappe had one of the best opportunities to put the home side ahead in the 88th minute when he dribbled at a couple defenders in the area. He got around one defender, and looked as though he might get past Victor Reis as well, but he went down box and stayed down bloodied after taking a blow to the head.
The referee signaled there was no penalty, no foul and no infraction on the Girona defender. Replays soon after Mbappe went to ground showed that there was an arm that made contact with the face of Mbappe, but there was no call from the VAR box to review the play. Real Madrid weren´t able to rally and settled for a draw which puts them six points behind Barcelona with Los Cules set to play Espanyol tomorrow with a chance to take a nine point lead.
Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.