A draw in Pamplona with more refereeing and VAR controversies

Real Madrid drew at El Sadar in a match marked by the controversial refereeing of Munuera Montero on the field and Trujillo Suárez in the VAR. In the opening minutes, two penalties were not awarded in favor of our team: one for a handball by Catena and the other for a Moncayola knee on Vini Jr. when the score was 0-1 after Mbappé had opened the scoring on the quarter of an hour mark. Bellingham got a straight red card in the 39th minute. After half-time, he did decide to consult the VAR and awarded a 54th-minute penalty against Camavinga on Budimir when the striker had already taken his shot.

Our team started in dominant fashion and after two minutes had a penalty claim for a handball by Catena in an action with Vini Jr. Then Real Madrid had a clear chance to score. Mbappé’s delicate ball found Vini Jr. unmarked at the far post, but his header missed the target. The Brazilian was prominent and it didn't take long for him to be at the centre of another controversial play. Moncayola brought him down inside the area with a clear knee in the eighth minute, but Munuera Montero waved away his penalty claims and nor did Trujillo Suárez warn him from the VAR.

Mbappé opened the scoring
Ancelotti's side were rampant going forward and after ten minutes Modrić threaded a beautiful pass between the lines for Mbappé, somewhat off-balance, who was thwarted by Herrera in a one-on-one. The Frenchman was constantly at the heart of Real Madrid's dangerous plays. On the quarter-hour mark, Valverde’s beautiful assist from the right flank set up Mbappé who found the net for the third consecutive match, this time with a first-time finish from inside the 6-yard box.

Watch all the videos of this match on RM Play.

Taking the 0-1 lead brought calm to the match, although there was yet more controversy after 20 minutes when Valverde’s cross hit Juan Cruz's hand, who was inside the area. Ancelotti appealed for a penalty and Munuera Montero showed him a yellow card. Only our team existed on the pitch, although in the 29th minute, Osasuna could have equalized after Aimar Oroz’s excellent shot that Courtois repelled with a spectacular save. Our team's reaction was immediate. In a razor-sharp counterattack three minutes later, Mbappé delivered the ball to Vini Jr. facing the goalkeeper, but the Brazilian’s finish was complicated by the ball being behind him. Munuera Montero was allowing the home side to push the boundaries of legality with their actions but in the 39th minute, he reduced Madrid to ten when he sent off Bellingham with a straight red card after a conversation between the two.

Playing with 10
Our team would have to play at least 50 minutes with one less player and there were more problems after the break. In the 54th minute, Munuera Montero gave a penalty for contact by Camavinga on Budimir, whose shot had already gone wide. On this occasion, Trujillo Suárez did alert him to go to the VAR to review the play on the monitor, unlike the penalty on Vini Jr. in the 8th minute.

Budimir's penalty made it 1-1 and Ancelotti's men tried to overcome what they were experiencing on the pitch at El Sadar. Herrando blocked Mbappé's 71st-minute shot when he was through against Herrera, and Catena cleared with his head Vini Jr.’s goalward shot. The chances kept coming for the visitors and in the 81st minute, Modrić came close but his volley from inside the area failed to find the target. It seemed that it was Real Madrid who had the extra player and in stoppage time the deserved winning goal could have come in a one-on-one for Mbappé with Herrera, but he was denied. A controversial draw at El Sadar.