Xavi hints that the referee favored Real Madrid.

Spanish coach Xavi believes Real Madrid benefited while Barcelona lost six points due to referee decisions, after the royal club came from behind to win 3-2 against Almeria in a controversial match in round 21 of La Liga.

Following the defeat at Bernabeu on January 21st, Almeria coach Gaizka Garitano heavily criticized the referee's decisions. "This isn't the first time something like this has happened to me here," he said angrily.

After the 4-2 victory away at Real Betis, when asked about Almeria's reaction, Xavi said he sympathized with his colleague Garitano, as Barca had suffered many similar unfavorable decisions in La Liga this season.

"If we speak out, we'll be punished, but everyone can see it," the Barca coach stated. "I've said before that it's difficult to win La Liga. There are things we can't control, and everyone can see that. Barca should have had more than six points. This isn't an excuse, it's the reality. Luck is always against us."

Coach Xavi directs Barcelona during their 2-3 defeat to hosts Antwerp in the final matchday of Group H of the Champions League on December 13th. Photo: AFP

At the Bernabeu on January 21st, Almeria surprisingly took a 2-0 lead in the first half, thanks to goals from Largie Ramazani and Edgar Gonzalez.

Controversy erupted in the 55th minute when referee Francisco Jose Hernandez went to the touchline to review the footage and awarded Real Madrid a penalty. He determined that Kaiky had handled the ball in the penalty area, although the replay showed that he appeared to have been pushed from behind by Joselu. From the penalty spot, Jude Bellingham struck a low shot into the middle of the goal to reduce the deficit.

In the 61st minute, Sergio Arribas tapped the ball into the far corner of the net past Kepa, restoring Almeria's two-goal lead. However, after reviewing the footage from the touchline, the referee determined that Dion Lopy had swung his arm at Bellingham's face during a challenge in the middle of the pitch. Therefore, he disallowed Almeria's goal and issued a yellow card to Lopy.

The incident where Lopy swung his arm and hit Bellingham in the face caused the referee to disallow Almerica's goal. (Screenshot) — The incident where Lopy swung his arm and hit Bellingham in the face caused the referee to disallow Almerica's goal. *(Screenshot)*

Five minutes later, referee Hernandez reviewed the situation again and awarded a penalty in favor of Real Madrid, confirming Vinicius's goal. The Almeria players lined up to watch VAR along with the referee and all believed Vinicius scored with his hand, but the referee still confirmed the Brazilian striker scored with his shoulder.

On two occasions when VAR ruled against him, Almeria's coach Gaizka Garitano clutched his head and complained. In the seventh minute of added time, he received a second yellow card for his reactions on the sidelines and was sent off. Two minutes later, Bellingham rose high to head the ball to Dani Carvajal, who tapped it in from close range to seal a 3-2 victory.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti understands Almeria's strong reaction but believes referee Hernandez and the VAR team made the correct decisions. "I've reviewed all the situations," the Italian coach said. "I think the referee was right. It wasn't a VAR decision. VAR advised, and the referee on the field made the decision. I think he was right."

The top three in La Liga remained unchanged after Girona, Real, and Barca all won in Round 21. Girona still holds the top spot with 52 points, one and eight points ahead of Real and Barca respectively, but having played one more game. In the next round, Girona will visit Celta, Real will travel to Las Palmas, and Barca will return home to face Villarreal.

Hong Duy

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