The El Clásico between Real Madrid and Barcelona began with a clear advantage for the Royals, who were on the verge of a two-goal lead had it not been for two crucial decisions made by video technology.
The opening came in the second minute, when Vinicius Junior fell in the penalty area following a strong challenge from Alejandro Balde. Referee Souto Grado did not hesitate to award a penalty kick to Los Blancos.
As the Brazilian prepared to take the kick, VAR intervened. It first reviewed his position at the start of the attack and determined he was in an offside position, which was not the case. It then reviewed the footage of the challenge itself.
الحكم يلغي ركلة الجزاء بعد العودة إلى الـ”فار”
📦 اشترك الآن ولا تفوت المتعة والإثارة 👇
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📱 https://t.co/alkogGtHdW#الدوري_الإسباني | #الكلاسيكو | #ريال_مدريد | #برشلونة | #كلاسيكو_الأرض#ELCLÁSICO | #Barcelona | #RealMadrid | #LaLiga pic.twitter.com/vYFWOeWA9v— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) October 26, 2025
After reviewing the footage, VAR called in Grado, who was convinced the challenge was insufficient to award a penalty kick. The penalty was disallowed amid widespread public outrage at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Ten minutes later, Kylian Mbappé scored a stunning goal after a clever pass from Arda Güler, firing a superb volley past Szczesny. The Frenchman celebrated the goal, but was surprised by a new VAR decision.
VAR determined that Mbappé was offside, and the goal was disallowed, much to the chagrin of Real Madrid’s stars and coach Xabi Alonso.
