Coach Arbeloa furious: 'Mbappe incident, even on the moon would be a penalty'

The controversial incident at the end of the match angered Real Madrid's coach, as Mbappe was clearly fouled but the referee and VAR remained silent.

The Santiago Bernabeu witnessed another disappointing night as Real Madrid drew 1-1 with Girona, a match where the result not only impacted the title race but also ignited fierce controversy. The focus shifted to the 89th minute, when Kylian Mbappe appeared to be elbowed in the penalty area but received no decision from the referee.

Post-match, coach Álvaro Arbeloa could not hide his frustration. “That was a clear penalty. No one understands that decision,” he stated. The Real Madrid strategist further emphasized: “It’s a penalty here and even on the moon. Once again, another week. Everything remains the same.” These remarks reveal rising discontent, as the Royal team feels consistently disadvantaged.

Not limited to one incident, Arbeloa continued to criticize VAR operations: “VAR intervenes when they want, and when they don’t, they ignore it.” This statement reflects Real Madrid's shaken confidence in refereeing, especially when crucial decisions seem to consistently turn against them at key moments of the season.

Returning to the match events, Real Madrid actually dominated with an expected goals (xG) of 2.22, far exceeding Girona's 0.52. However, Mbappe's lack of sharpness became a major issue as the French striker missed two clear chances in the 53rd and 86th minutes, preventing his team from sealing the victory.

Nevertheless, the efforts of Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga deserve recognition. After an error allowing Federico Valverde to score, he redeemed himself with a series of excellent saves against Jude Bellingham and Brahim Diaz, helping secure a valuable point for the visitors at the Bernabeu.

On the other hand, Real Madrid's defense remains a critical weakness. This marks the 8th consecutive La Liga match where they conceded, punished this time in the 62nd minute when Thomas Lemar had too much space to unleash a long-range shot defeating Andriy Lunin.

Rotating seven positions in the starting lineup to conserve energy for the Champions League match against Bayern Munich also caused Real Madrid's play to lack necessary cohesion. The consequence was dropping another 2 points at a time when mistakes are unacceptable.

This draw leaves Real Madrid 6 points behind Barcelona and having played one more match. If their rival wins their next game, the gap will widen to 9 points – almost ending hopes of defending the title. In this context, the controversy surrounding Mbappe's incident adds bitterness to the disappointment at the Bernabeu.