Refereeing call overshadows Real Madrid’s fiery clash with Espanyol

A decision not to send off Espanyol’s Cala for kicking Vinicius Junior in the opening stages of the match has prompted intense debate, with specialist Spanish refereeing analysis site Archivo VAR arguing that the defender should have received a straight red card.

Referee Sanchez Martinez allowed play to continue without showing Cala a card after the incident, which happened while Vinicius was lying on the pitch and play had stopped. The Video Assistant Referee also chose not to intervene, meaning the Espanyol player remained on the field and continued to take part in the match.

According to Archivo VAR, Cala kicked the Real Madrid forward away from the action. Although the force of the contact was not considered particularly strong, the site said the nature and timing of the incident made it worthy of a red card.

The analysis focused on what it described as the clear intention behind the action. Cala’s kick was directed at Vinicius alone, rather than being part of an attempt to challenge for the ball, and came while the Brazilian was on the ground. Archivo VAR therefore considered the incident serious enough to require the most severe disciplinary punishment.

The decision became increasingly significant as the match developed. Cala was involved in further confrontations with Vinicius, before both players were eventually shown yellow cards following a disagreement between them.

Had Cala been dismissed in the early stages, the balance and character of the game would have been altered substantially. Instead, he stayed on the pitch, allowing him to continue his involvement in a contest that had already begun amid considerable tension.

The atmosphere at Espanyol’s stadium was hostile from the outset, with Vinicius involved in more than one confrontation with the home side’s players and subjected to chants from sections of the crowd. The mood contributed to a match that quickly became vulnerable to further disputes over refereeing decisions.

Archivo VAR said the most important moment of the opening period was not a goal or a clear scoring opportunity, but the failure to punish Cala for the incident involving Vinicius.

The site’s assessment has added to scrutiny of Sanchez Martinez and the VAR official, who both declined to take action despite the contact taking place during a stoppage in play. In the view of the refereeing analysts, the missed red card had the potential to change the course of the Real Madrid and Espanyol meeting from its earliest minutes.

With Vinicius and Cala later receiving cautions after their exchange, the original decision was given even greater importance. What might initially have appeared to be a brief confrontation instead became a key point in evaluating how the match was controlled and whether Espanyol should have continued with 11 players.