Ronaldo penalty vs Barca brings up Messi penalty vs Man City debate
Fans from both the sides were furious at some of the decisions the referee made during the course of the match and one of these decisions which still continues to divide opinions was Undiano Mallenco awarding Real Madrid a penalty for a foul Dani Alves had seemingly committed outside the box.
Ronaldo scored from the resulting penalty and the Blaugrana faithful were left fuming.
However Barcelona fans must rewind their memories to the 18th of February when in a similar situation Lionel Messi was tripped outside the box by Man City defender Martin Demichelis as a result of which the culprit was shown his marching orders whereas Barcelona were awarded a penalty. In light of new rules which clearly state that if a foul committed outside the box is carried into the box the offence will result in a penalty, the decision taken on both the occasions by the two referees is justified.
The two pictures below further stress on the fact illustrated above.
Why Xavi was wrong to slam Ronaldo
The aforementioned fact also implies that Barcelona’s midfield maestro Xavi Hernandez was wrong at taking a snipe at Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese was infuriated after the match and in a post match interview criticized referee Undiano Mallenco.
"Maybe they don't want Real Madrid to win this Liga. I've been here for five years, so I know how a lot of things are and I hope to win it regardless of this,” said the 29 year old.
"It's a feeling of sadness after being 3-2 up and controlling the game. The referee made some unbelievable decisions, but you have to carry on."
Xavi replied to Cristiano’s rant by claiming that Barcelona were simply the better team on the night and deserved all three points. The Spanish international further claimed that the first penalty his side earned as a result of a foul on Neymar was a legitimate one but claimed that Ronaldo and Madrid were wrongfully awarded one.
Neymar's dive & penalty with Ramos sent off
Amidst all the off field controversies surrounding the Brazilian international, the 22 year old did his reputation no good when in an act of unsportsmanlike behavior the former Santos striker making full use of the situation earned his team an illegitimate penalty which also resulted in Sergio Ramos being dismissed.
After going a man down Real Madrid simply failed to match Barcelona and never got in their stride. The Castilians failed to go toe to toe with their arch nemesis from that point and after going a man down Madrid were soon under a goal disadvantage as well, with Messi expertly dispatching another penalty and putting the tie to rest.
El Clasico officiating and 'cheating' debate
It is fair to conclude that the referee’s decisions on the night did have an instrumental effect on the outcome of the game. On another day with another referee we would have perhaps seen different decisions and possibly a different result.
Conclusion
Even though Barcelona must be credited for a spirited performance it must be said that Unidiano's officiating favored the Catalans and made it easier for them to record a victory. Neymar’s theatrics were uncalled for and should have resulted in a yellow for the Brazilian. Instead it was Real Madrid who were punished and were forced to play more than a quarter of the match with 10 men.
Barca's responses to Real Madrid fans moaning
Barcelona fans regardless of the questionable manner in which their side recorded a victory were understandably overwhelmed by the result and hit back at their counterparts with some of the pictures below which had been actively circulating on the social media.
