Kylian Mbappe won a penalty in the opening minutes as Real Madrid faced Racing Santander in La Liga, but a specialist refereeing analysis concluded the decision should not have been given.
Mbappe went down inside the area after Racing Santander defender Mateo Prati put his arm in the French forward’s path as he moved into the box. The referee awarded a penalty, prompting strong protests from Racing’s players.
Mbappe converted the spot-kick to give Real Madrid the lead.
However, VAR Archive, an account specialising in refereeing incidents, questioned why the video assistant referee had not intervened at El Sardinero.
“VAR washed its hands at El Sardinero,” the account said on X.
It then argued that the contact between Prati and Mbappe had been minimal.
“Prati made slight contact with Mbappe’s stomach, and when he felt the contact, the player threw himself to the ground,” it said.
VAR Archive concluded that the referee’s decision had been incorrect, adding: “It is not a penalty. There is no connection between the defender’s intervention and the French player’s fall.”
