Real Madrid emerged victorious in their last Madrid derby, and their 3-2 win against Atletico Madrid allowed them to remain in contention for the La Liga title as they continue to trail Barcelona by 4 points.
Both the teams put on a show for the spectators, and it was quite an entertaining game overall. However, the football put on display was shadowed by one a highly controversial refereeing decision in the last stages of the game.
The referee Munuera Montero, who has a history of perceived unfair decisions against the Merengues, gave Federico Valverde a direct red card after the Uruguayan’s challenge against Alex Baena. The official claimed that the Real Madrid captain was not challenging for the ball and used reckless force against his opponent.
As a result, the midfielder could have been suspended for up to two games. However, according to MARCA, the competition committee has decided to suspend Valverde for only a single game. The Merengues’ appeal against the suspension has also been overturned, and thus, he will miss the upcoming game against Mallorca, which is scheduled to take place on April 4th, after the international break.
Keeping in view the important of Federico Valverde for Real Madrid and his recent form, there is no doubt that this will be a significant loss for the Merengues in their already difficult title race.
