- Barca crashed to 3-1 defeat at Bernabeu
- Rodrygo penalty given after VAR check
- Laporta approached officials post-match
WHAT HAPPENED? Real Madrid moved three points clear of rivals Barcelona in top spot after a 3-1 victory in the first Clasico of the season at Santiago Bernabeu. Rodrygo's 91st-minute penalty sealed the win for Los Blancos in controversial fashion, as referee Sanchez Martinez was advised to check the pitch-side monitor before awarding the spot kick. Earlier on in the match, Robert Lewandowski saw a similar penalty claim against Dani Carvajal fall on deaf ears.
WHAT THEY SAID: Barca president Laporta was unhappy with the performance of the match officials and confronted them directly post-match. The referee's match report described the Barca president coming into their dressing room and “repeatedly requesting explanations about some situations in the match”. Laporta was then “invited to leave without further incident”.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: The incident comes several weeks after Xavi called for referees to give post-match news conferences, following controversial decisions in his side's Champions League defeat away to Inter. The Barca boss did not comment on the officials this time around, though, as he instead pointed to missed chances in the Madrid loss. "Sometimes you find yourselves on a bad run, but luckily it's just three points," he told a press conference. "We tried, we showed faith. It was a good chance to stay top of La Liga, it just was not to be.
"We did not take advantage of the moments when we were on top. Madrid defended well, and the feeling is we're on a bad run and nothing is coming off.''
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BARCA? A busy league schedule sees Barca host Villarreal and Athletic Club in the space of four days, before a must-win Champions League clash against Bayern on October 26.