Real Madrid, in search of points to close the gap on Barça in the standings, endured a frustrating evening at San Mamés, marked by two controversial penalty situations. Had these decisions been taken differently, the match could have taken a dramatic turn for Carlo Ancelotti’s men.
Real Madrid arrived at San Mamés with the intention of picking up three important points in their title race. But the Casa Blanca outfit were unable to impose their game on Athletic Bilbao, who dominated the match. Madrid struggled to create chances, and the attack led by Kylian Mbappé was unable to really trouble the Basque defence. On the other side of the pitch, the home side looked threatening and ended up winning 2-1 thanks to two errors from Courtois and Fede Valverde.
Carlo Ancelotti and Kylian Mbappé spoke about his missed penalty following Real Madrid's 2-1 loss to Athletic Club.
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 4, 2024
Mbappé said he takes "full responsibility" for it. pic.twitter.com/lmIuTXaRwo
Two penalties disallowed, Real Madrid cry foul
The first controversial moment came after Kylian Mbappé was caught out by two Athletic Bilbao defenders. After being grabbed, the Frenchman fell to the ground and called for a penalty. The referee, Sánchez Martínez, had a different view of the situation and asked the player to get up and continue the match. However, although the incident appeared clear on the footage, the referee felt that there had not been sufficient foul play to award the penalty. This naturally led to frustration among Real Madrid players and fans, who felt that the action deserved a harsher penalty.
🖥️💥 Ataque de locura transitoria del VAR en el Athletic Club – Real Madrid.
— Archivo VAR (@ArchivoVAR) December 4, 2024
👉🏻 Gorosabel se desentiende por completo del balón y agarra con los dos brazos a Mbappé.
❌ ES PENALTI.
▪️ Pese a que la infracción se comete delante de él, Sánchez Martínez dejó seguir. pic.twitter.com/HCk3WOgK6E
A few minutes later, a second similar situation arose. After a counter-attack in which Rodrygo was knocked off balance by Gorosabel, VAR intervened to ask the referee to review the situation. Although the video review lasted several seconds, Sánchez Martínez confirmed his initial decision and ruled that the foul was not sufficient to award a penalty. This second refusal deeply annoyed some Madrid players, who felt that two opportunities had been missed.
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