Atletico Madrid comes out on top in the derby
After a week of tension with the refereeing establishment, Atletico Madrid faced Real Madrid in a derby full of controversy. Referee Soto Grado and VAR referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoechea made key decisions in the match.
The first controversial action occurred at 25 minutes, when Dani Ceballos committed a foul on Marcos Llorente and received a yellow card. However, the most controversial play occurred at 32 minutes, when Tchouameni stepped on Samu Lino.
Initially, Soto Grado did not see the foul, but after being alerted by the VAR, he reviewed the play on the monitor and called a penalty. According to sources, Tchouameni’s step is a clear foul that must be punished with a penalty.
This same play occurred in the previous match between Athletic Bilbao and Girona, and was punished in the same way. So, Soto Grado made the right decision, helped by the VAR, and Atletico Madrid came out on top in the derby.
The referee’s decision was key in the match and showed that the refereeing establishment can make fair and precise decisions with the help of technology. Atletico Madrid can be satisfied with the result and with the performance of the refereeing establishment in the derby.
