Martínez Munuera Told Vini after the Stolen Penalty in Vallecas: 'Could Be...'

Real Madrid's draw against Rayo Vallecano left a bad feeling among the club's fans, although FC Barcelona's defeat keeps the fight for LaLiga close. One of the most controversial aspects of the clash at the Vallecas stadium was, without a doubt, the possible penalty not called on Vinícius Jr.

The kick that the '7' received on his ankle, launched by Munin, went unpunished. Martínez Munuera, referee of the game, was very close to but decided that there was nothing punishable in that action by the Rayo Vallecano defender.

Vinícius Jr., taking advantage of a brief break in the game, asked the Valencian referee for an explanation. While both returned to their usual positions on the field, Martínez Munuera tried to be conciliatory with a Vinícius who didn't seem to agree with the explanations given.

"I may have made a mistake," the referee from Levante defended himself. The Real Madrid forward's insistence in his complaints made Munuera go from "okay, yes I was wrong... listen, yes I was wrong" to "don't come like that, don't come like that..."

Open the possibility

After this suggestion to the Real Madrid player, the referee turns to his right to speed up his pace and run a little more... implying that the conversation had ended. These words between Martínez Munuera and Vinícius further fuel the debate surrounding the possible penalty.

Especially since that move would've been key for the white club to get the three points from their visit to the Vallecas stadium. With the score at 3-3, a penalty would've given the Merengues the victory after a difficult game... and would've completely changed the order in the league table.

But that future didn't come to pass: Real Madrid are still very close to FC Barcelona in the table, just one point behind and with a game in hand. The defeat of Hansi Flick's charges at the hands of Leganés, in the Olympic stadium of Montjuïc, brings both clubs closer together in the day before the winter championship.

That is precisely the objective of a 'bad' Real Madrid that remains a clear candidate for the top national title this season. The invincibility that the Catalans seemed to enjoy has slowly vanished and the moment to take the lead is perfect. It would be achieved just before the Christmas break and at Santiago Bernabéu.