VAR overturns Racing Santander penalty as Real Madrid win 3-0

Real Madrid secured a convincing 3-0 victory away to Racing Santander, but the match was also marked by several controversial refereeing decisions, including a penalty awarded to the hosts before being overturned by VAR.

The incident occurred in the 75th minute at El Sardinero, when referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero initially pointed to the spot after the ball struck Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni’s hand.

However, following a review of the incident on the pitch-side monitor, Munuera Montero reversed his decision and Racing Santander were denied a penalty.

Former referee and refereeing analyst Pablo Gonzalez Fuertes discussed the decision on the Marcador programme on Radio MARCA.

“He finally corrected his mistake and did not award the penalty because he realised the ball touched Tchouameni, then rebounded off him and struck his arm,” Gonzalez Fuertes said.

He added: “If it had been a Racing player who touched the ball, the player should have been penalised with a penalty.”

Real Madrid went on to complete a deserved victory at El Sardinero, maintaining their winning run in La Liga.

The result reduced the gap to leaders Barcelona to three points, while Real Madrid strengthened their position in third place in the table.

The match produced a number of other incidents that prompted debate over the officiating, but the overturned penalty was the most prominent decision involving VAR.

The fixture listings accompanying the report include AEK Athens in the Champions League on 04 November 2026, followed by Real Madrid against Malaga in La Liga on 07 November 2026. Racing Santander is also listed in the schedule.