The match between Real Madrid and Real Betis (2-0), corresponding to matchday four of LaLiga EA Sports 24/25, was marked by controversial refereeing decisions. Why? All of it stemmed from a penalty awarded by referee Javier Alberola Rojas due to a foul by Real Betis' goalkeeper Rui Silva on Vinicius Jr. in the 73rd minute, a decision that certainly sparked intense debate.
In that incident, which took place in the Betis' penalty area, it is debatable whether the play warranted a penalty. Although there appears to be potential contact with the Brazilian forward, upon reviewing several replays from various angles, it is noticeable how the Portuguese goalkeeper, diving to the ground in search of the ball, realizing he had no chance of gaining possession, seemed to pull back from his attempt, thus avoiding a collision with the Madrid's '7'. However, the player from São Gonçalo, with some 'cunning', deliberately sought contact, managing to impact the knee of the Andalusian team's '1', resulting in a dramatic fall.
The explanation behind why the penalty on 'Vini Jr.' was awarded
Due to the confusion caused by this incident, the head referee called for VAR intervention, under the responsibility of Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz this time, to determine if it was indeed a penalty. Recently, the audio of the conversation between both referees was made public, where Muñiz Ruiz is heard saying: "Give me a second because it seems like a penalty to me. Javi, it looks like a penalty. He goes for the ball and brings him down. Give me a second to see the full APP". To which the VAR assistant, Iker De Francisco Grijalba, added: "And the penalty, right? And then the offside". After evaluating the situation, Alberola Roja concluded: "Okay, yes. He dribbles him and the goalkeeper gets him. He gets him with the knee".
Regarding the second incident to assess, a possible offside of 'Vini Jr.' in the previous play, Muñiz Ruiz chose not to show this action to Alberola Rojas, indicating that "I won't show you the offside, I will send it directly to the SAOT (semi-automatic offside detection technology)", closing a play that has sparked much controversy in the past hours.