Real Madrid have expressed their frustration with the refereeing decisions made during their 1-0 away defeat by Real Betis, arguing that the officials might have reached different conclusions if Barcelona had been involved instead.
The Madrid club’s dissatisfaction centres on two incidents from the closing stages of the match. First, a goal scored by Carlos Espi was ruled out for offside. Later, the referee declined to order a retake of a penalty after no early encroachment by Real Betis players was identified.
Kylian Mbappe then missed the resulting spot-kick, leaving Real Madrid without a goal and confirming a narrow defeat on the road. The decision not to have the penalty taken again has become a particular source of anger within the Madrid camp.
The reaction was summed up by the suggestion: “If only something like this had happened to Barcelona...”
Real Madrid believe the decisions applied against them represented a different standard from the one they feel might have been used in a comparable situation involving their rivals. Their complaint is not focused solely on the penalty, but also on the disallowed goal that denied them the opportunity to level the contest.
Carlos Espi’s effort was cancelled because he was judged to have been in an offside position. The decision meant the Madrid side did not benefit from what would have been a late equaliser, while the subsequent penalty incident offered another opportunity to change the outcome.
However, the referee did not order the kick to be retaken because there was no established evidence that Real Betis players had entered the penalty area too early. Mbappe’s unsuccessful attempt therefore stood, and Real Madrid’s deficit remained until the final whistle.
The combination of the disallowed goal and the missed penalty has intensified the club’s criticism of the officiating. From Real Madrid’s perspective, both moments carried significant consequences: one removed a potential goal from the scoreboard, while the other denied them another chance from twelve yards.
Real Betis ultimately held on to win by the minimum margin, with the 1-0 result leaving Real Madrid to reflect on missed opportunities as well as the decisions that shaped the closing stages.
The defeat has also brought renewed attention to the longstanding sensitivity surrounding refereeing decisions involving Spain’s leading clubs. In this instance, Real Madrid’s view is that the outcome might have been different had the same incidents occurred in a match involving Barcelona.