VAR Denies Madrid Control as Clasico Drama Unfolds
26 October 2025
Event Highlights
In a tense Clasico at the Santiago Bernabéu, VAR intervened twice, denying Real Madrid two clear scoring chances as they faced their fierce rivals Barcelona in La Liga's tenth round.
In the fourth minute, Vinícius Júnior won a penalty after a challenge by Frenkie de Jong, but the decision stood only after a video check; on review it appeared De Jong touched the ball first, and Vinícius struck the kick unintentionally.
In the 14th minute, a superb Kylian Mbappé goal was ruled offside by the video assistant, ruling it out.
Madrid would take the lead in the 22nd minute through a Mbappé strike, while Fermín López leveled for Barça in the 38th minute.
Lineups and Context
Starting XIs featured a Madrid side with Thibaut Courtois in goal, a back line featuring Álvaro Carieras, Din Hoisen, Éder Militao and Fidy Valverde, and a midfield quartet of Jude Bellingham, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Eduardo Camavinga and Arda Güler, behind a front line of Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé.
Barcelona’s lineup included goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny; Defence: Alejandro Balde, Eric García, Pau Cubarci, Jules Conde; Midfield: Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, Fermín López; Forwards: Ferran Torres, Marcus Rashford, Lamine Yamal.
The two teams came into the clash with Barcelona having played nine league games (seven wins, one draw, one loss) and Real Madrid the same number of matches with eight wins and one loss, the latter impact by a heavy 2-5 defeat to Atlético Madrid.
Barça stood second with 22 points, two behind Madrid, who had reclaimed the top spot after beating Getafe 1-0, setting a heated stage for the upcoming Clasico clash.
Clasico History and Stakes
The 2024-2025 Clasico season has been brutal for Real Madrid in clashes with Barça, with no domestic win and three finals slipping to the Blaugrana in various competitions.
In La Liga last season, the teams met in the 11th round on 26 October, the same date as the upcoming fixture, and Barça dominated 4-0 under coach Xavi in the second year of Carlo Ancelotti’s era, as the Catalans took control of the fixture after a spell of strong performances from the squad.
Later, Barça again prevailed in the Spanish Super Cup final staged abroad in Saudi Arabia, despite an early goal from Mbappé for Real Madrid; Barça answered with a five-goal burst, sealing a 5-2 victory and lifting the trophy. The 26 April final of the Copa del Rey saw Barça win again after extra time, with Jules Conde’s stoppage-time strike completing a 3-2 comeback win.
The season’s head-to-heads continued with a dramatic 4-3 Barça win at Camp Nou in the second La Liga meeting of the campaign when Barça rallied from 0-2 down, completing a memorable remontada and affirming Barça’s dominance in that stretch.
What’s Next
With these results, the Clasico narrative remains a central talking point as both teams chase the league title and more silverware, while VAR continues to shape outcomes and fuel debate among fans and pundits alike.
Punchline 1: If VAR were a stand-up comedian, it would be the guy who keeps asking you to wait for the replay—and somehow the crowd still laughs at the end.
Punchline 2: In football, as in life, the perfect call may never come, but at least VAR gives you a second chance to pretend you saw what happened all along.
