"However, there was controversy late on, as not only did the referee add nine minutes as stoppage time, but he also went on to award a very questionable penalty to Real Madrid in the final moments for a foul on Brahim Diaz. Kylian Mbappe, as he has done for most of the season, stepped up to convert yet another controversial penalty awarded to his team, ensuring Real Madrid finished 2-1 winners - cutting Barça's lead to just one point."
"The Barcelona president has not shied away from talking about how Real Madrid have had some dodgy calls from referees going their way, even calling out the RMTV videos for putting pressure on match officials. "Our opponent has created an atmosphere around the refereeing team that is out of place," he had said back in October, before the first El Clasico of the season."
FC Barcelona led La Liga by four points after their win over Elche. Real Madrid faced Rayo Vallecano and looked set for a 1-1 draw after Jorge de Frutos cancelled Vinicius Jr.'s opener at the Santiago Bernabeu. The referee added nine minutes of stoppage time and awarded a late penalty to Real Madrid for a foul on Brahim Diaz. Kylian Mbappé converted the spot kick to make it 2-1, reducing Barcelona's lead to one point. Barcelona president Joan Laporta mimed a dive, laughed and said "It was a dive," and previously criticised Real Madrid's TV coverage for pressuring referees.
Read at Barca Universal
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