Real Madrid Confidencial Iturralde González surprises with the penalty that gives the Golden Boot to Mbappé: Look
The former referee has no doubt about the illegality of the play and is clear that Pablo Marín's hand was a penalty
Santiago Bernabéu experienced an afternoon full of emotions at the close of LaLiga EA Sports. Real Madrid faced Real Sociedad in the last matchday of the championship. Although the result had no direct impact on the standings, the farewells of Ancelotti and Luka Modric set the tone.
The match progressed without too many clear chances until the 37th minute. It was then that a controversial play broke the calm. A penalty awarded to Real Madrid ignited social media and divided opinions.
A play that changed the course of the match
It all started with a run by the white team down the right wing. Arda Güler launched into the attack and tried to get past Pablo Marín. The Turkish midfielder lifted the ball looking for the dribble, but the ball ended up hitting the arm of the Real Sociedad player.
Live, referee Melero López didn't signal anything. He considered that the ball had hit a legal part of the body. The game continued, but from the VAR room, they alerted the referee. Two minutes later, he reviewed the play on the field monitor.
After seeing a clear image, Melero López corrected his initial decision. The ball had directly touched Pablo Marín's open hand. That changed everything.
Iturralde is clear: "It's a penalty"
The former referee and referee analyst for Cadena SER, Iturralde González, analyzed the action on Carrusel Deportivo. His stance was firm: "It's a penalty". He added a key detail: "Notice that instead of moving his hand away, he makes a gesture as if to clear it. Clear penalty".
The referee's decision caused some debate, but the VAR ended up being decisive.
Despite the Bernabéu chants asking for Modric as the taker, the one in charge was Kylian Mbappé. The Frenchman missed the first shot but was alert to the rebound and scored the 1-0.
With his double yesterday, Mbappé is now at the top of the goal-scoring table. Now, Mohamed Salah needs to score four goals in his match to take the Golden Boot from him.
An emotional afternoon, a disputed play, and a goal that could be worth an individual trophy. Bernabéu once again became the stage for a memorable story.
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