The Madrid classic ended with a final score of 1-1, which left neither team satisfied. The footballers of Atlético de Madrid, after the match, commented that the idea was to have secured the three points at Santiago Bernabéu. Real Madrid was superior in the second half, and Simeone's team managed to withstand the white onslaughts.
After the match, controversy erupted on social media, sports talk shows, and media outlets. The penalty awarded in favor of Atlético de Madrid was the main topic in the sports world, overshadowing any analysis of the match itself. The Real Madrid fans were very much in disagreement with the decision, but the archives don't lie and expose more than one.
A Penalty They Saw Very Clearly
Many Madridists who complained about the penalty commented that the ball had already passed in front of Samu Lino. However, when something very similar happened to them, that "residual action" seemed like a very clear penalty to them. We don't have to go far, as this season, against Real Sociedad, Aramburu stepped on Vinícius inside the area after the Brazilian had crossed the ball.
The ball was no longer in possession of the Real Madrid player and the stomp didn't affect the play at all. The VAR alerted the referee to review the action, subsequently leading to the maximum penalty being awarded. That day, fans and journalists of the white club commented that it was obvious and that there was no controversy.
Simeone Had It Clear
In the post-match press conference, Simeone positively assessed the refereeing during the match. "There was an identical penalty in the Bilbao-Girona match, and the referee and VAR solved it the same way; it was all similar." He also added: "I thought the referee handled it in the best way with his criteria."
As Atlético de Madrid itself said a few years ago: "They criticize even the correct decisions." An action that two months ago was a clear penalty for them, when it's against them, the criteria change drastically.