Real Madrid surged to the top of La Liga with a commanding 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad at the Santiago Bernabeu on Friday night, but the result was overshadowed by a furious debate over two penalties awarded to Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian forward converted both spot-kicks against defender Jon Aramburu, with the second decision at the start of the second half drawing fierce criticism from the visitors and reigniting the ongoing controversy around VAR decisions favouring the Spanish champions. Gonzalo Garcia opened the scoring in the fifth minute before Mikel Oyarzabal equalised from the penalty spot in the 21st minute, but goals from Vinicius in the 25th and 48th minutes, along with a superb Federico Valverde strike in the 31st, sealed a comprehensive win for Alvaro Arbeloa's side in front of 74,176 fans.
The first penalty was relatively uncontroversial, as Aramburu tripped Vinicius inside the box and referee Francisco Jose Hernandez Maeso pointed to the spot without hesitation. However, the second penalty three minutes into the second half ignited a storm. Vinicius received the ball in the area, performed a stepover and nutmegged Aramburu before going down under the defender's challenge. Hernandez Maeso again awarded a penalty, and VAR confirmed the decision after reviewing the footage. The released VAR audio revealed the on-field official describing the contact as a clear stomp, though he opted not to show Aramburu a yellow card for either foul.
Real Sociedad were left incredulous. The club's official website described the second penalty as nonexistent and unbelievably awarded, while manager Pellegrino Matarazzo acknowledged that contact existed but suggested Vinicius had deliberately sought it. Matarazzo told reporters after the match that Vinicius was clearly looking for the penalty and trying to take advantage, adding that the tactical plan to double up on the Brazilian and block his path to the left wing had simply not worked on those two occasions. The incident carried echoes of a September 2024 clash between the same sides, when former Real Sociedad boss Imanol Alguacil declared that such decisions were destroying football.
The referees' technical committee later reviewed the incident and ruled the second penalty call as interpretable, while deeming the VAR intervention itself unnecessary. This verdict suggested that Hernandez Maeso's original decision should have stood without VAR involvement, though the penalty remained within the bounds of acceptable interpretation. Despite the controversy, Real Madrid were dominant throughout, with Valverde curling a magnificent strike into the top corner from the edge of the box for his first La Liga goal of the season. Vinicius also had a late goal disallowed for offside that would have completed his hat-trick, while Real Sociedad struck the woodwork three times and had a goal ruled out in the closing stages. Thibaut Courtois produced two outstanding saves around the hour mark to preserve the lead.
The victory moved Real Madrid two points clear of Barcelona at the summit with 60 points from 24 matches, extending their winning streak in the league to eight consecutive games and five under new manager Arbeloa. Kylian Mbappe was rested due to lingering knee discomfort ahead of a Champions League clash against Benfica, while Jude Bellingham remained sidelined with a hamstring injury. In a positive development, Dani Carvajal made his first league appearance since suffering an injury in the October Clasico against Barcelona. Real Sociedad's 10-match unbeaten run across all competitions came to an end, leaving Matarazzo's side to reflect on a match where the margins felt painfully fine. Vinicius became only the second player to win and score two or more penalties in a single La Liga match since Neymar achieved the feat in 2015.
Comments