The refereeing controversies of LaLiga matchday 10: from El Clásico to VAR

LaLiga matchday 10 left a peculiar situation: El Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid, which usually dominates the refereeing debate, took a back seat. The most talked-about incident at the Camp Nou was a challenge by João Cancelo on Diomandé in the second half, which Martínez Munuera did not even punish with a yellow card. Meanwhile, the VAR had an unusually prominent role in other matches of the round, with several reviews correcting decisions made on the pitch.

• Martínez Munuera did not book João Cancelo for a studs-up tackle on Diomandé in the 56th minute of El Clásico.
• The VAR intervened in Valencia-Villarreal, Racing-Espanyol and Rayo-Elche, with penalties awarded and overturned.
• Hernández Maeso sent off Mario Martín in Athletic-Getafe for a studs-first challenge on an opponent.
• In El Clásico, Real Madrid appealed for a penalty after a Balde handball, but the referee and VAR saw no offence.
• The matchday produced two almost identical stamps without a card: Lamine Yamal on Bellingham and Camavinga on Rodri.

Cancelo's tackle on Diomandé, the big El Clásico controversy

Barcelona against Real Madrid was played with relative refereeing calm until the 56th minute. That was when the most controversial moment arrived: a tackle from behind by João Cancelo on Diomandé in which the Portuguese full-back planted his studs into the calf of the Ivorian player. Martínez Munuera allowed play to continue to give the advantage, but when the ball stopped he did not show any card. The decision was surprising because the force of the challenge appeared enough for at least a yellow card.

Earlier, in first-half stoppage time, Real Madrid avoided any booking despite repeated fouls by Cucurella on Lamine Yamal. The referee kept his cards in his pocket and the Madrid full-back escaped a yellow card throughout the first half. It was one of the few moments of tension in an opening period without any incidents worthy of review.

The penalty appeals from Real Madrid in the Barcelona box

Real Madrid called for a penalty in the 69th minute after a handball by Balde inside the Barcelona area. The home player did touch the ball lightly with his arm, but the movement came during a normal challenge with Mbappé. The VAR reviewed the incident and agreed with the referee's interpretation: there was no offence. The appeal came to nothing.

In the closing stages, Balde was booked in the 95th minute for grabbing and bringing down Mbappé. In the same incident, Adeyemi was shown a yellow card for striking the French forward while he was lying on the ground. Martínez Munuera handed out cards in a sequence that arrived with the match already decided and tempers running high.

Mario Martín's red card in Bilbao and VAR intervention at Mestalla

In Athletic-Getafe, Hernández Maeso sent off Mario Martín in the 83rd minute. The player lunged in with his studs first, touched the ball, but then struck an opponent's heel violently. The referee judged the action to carry a clear risk of injury and showed a straight red card, a decision that fits with the standard applied to studs-up challenges.

In Valencia, the VAR corrected two incidents. The first came in the 36th minute, when Renato Veiga stepped on Raba inside the area and the on-field referee had not signalled anything. After the monitor review, a penalty was awarded. The second arrived in the 76th: a deliberate elbow by Gueye on Gayá that left the Valencia player bleeding. The video assistant referee made sure the action did not go unpunished.

Three penalty reviews in Vallecas and the incident at El Sardinero

Rayo Vallecano against Elche was the match with the most refereeing activity of the round. In the 21st minute, Lejeune brought down Revivo inside the area and a penalty was awarded. Shortly after, in the 32nd, the referee missed a challenge by Pathé Ciss on Lemar, but the VAR called him over and the decision was corrected. In the 38th, the referee pointed to the spot for a handball by an Elche defender, although the ball hit the hand in a natural position. The decision should not have been given under the usual criteria, but it stood.

At El Sardinero, Gil Manzano was called by the VAR in the 40th minute to review a double incident. There was a handball by Pablo Ramón that could have been a penalty, but the referee found a prior foul by Roberto on a defender. Both players held each other in the tussle, although the Espanyol player's action was more visible. The penalty was not awarded.

The refereeing balance of matchday 10

The tenth round of the season left one standout fact: the VAR intervened more often than usual. When the main referees misread incidents, the video assistant referee becomes the centre of attention. It does not always get things right, as was seen in Vallecas, where a questionable handball penalty was upheld even though the defender's arm was in a natural position.

In El Clásico, the controversy was almost entirely limited to Cancelo's tackle. The rest of Martínez Munuera's decisions followed logic, from the yellow card for Tchouaméni for his stamp on Cubarsí to the booking for Balde in stoppage time. Two almost identical stamps, one by Lamine Yamal on Bellingham and another by Camavinga on Rodri, went unpunished in the final minutes.