A Catalan newspaper: Real Madrid won thanks to their suspicious deals and the help of the referee
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Catalan newspaper "Mundo Deportivo" launched a scathing attack on Real Madrid after their 3-0 win over Racing Santander, accusing the royal side of benefiting from controversial refereeing. Referee Munuera Montero awarded a penalty in favour of Kylian Mbappé that the newspaper branded undeserved, claiming it paved the way for José Mourinho's men to settle the encounter.
The paper picked a biting headline for its match coverage: "Real Madrid, known for its tricks and suspicious deals, beat Racing with the referee's help." The jibe took aim at a penalty handed out around 10 minutes in, after Mbappé collided with Mateo Prati inside the box.
According to "Mundo Deportivo", the referee was the only person who saw a foul worthy of a penalty. The paper noted sarcastically that the French striker's tumble inside the area, after Prati placed an arm in front of him, was enough to blow Munuera Montero's whistle. Mbappé then converted the spot kick to put Real Madrid ahead.
That opener, the newspaper added, handed the royal side a strong boost to take control, despite Racing's early resistance. The decision, it argued, was the turning point that helped Real Madrid land a sixth straight win across the Spanish league and the Champions League.
Real Madrid's attacking superiority after Mbappé's goal did not go unnoticed either. The paper praised the understanding between Arda Güler and Jude Bellingham for the second goal, the Turk slipping the ball to his English team-mate, who went past keeper Aguirrezabala and rolled it into an empty net.
"Mundo Deportivo" also tied the third goal to Álvaro Mantilla's injury, which left Racing struggling. Yan Diomande then unleashed a superb strike from the edge of the box that nestled in the top corner, stretching the royal side's lead to three before the break.
In its read of the second half, the newspaper pointed to Racing's attempt to climb back in and pressure Real Madrid, but they could not change the result. Mbappé almost added another, one shot rattling the post and a second clearing the crossbar.
There was also the handball incident on Tchouaméni inside the box. The referee initially pointed to the spot, then reversed his decision after a VAR review, with the paper explaining that the ball had rebounded from the Frenchman's foot onto his hand, prompting the cancellation.
Bellingham also saw a fourth goal chalked off for offside. By then the match was already won, and the paper reckoned Real Madrid had exploited what it called the "slim chances" Racing faced from the outset, walking away with three points despite the row over the penalty that opened the scoring.
عايز العنوان Catalan newspaper: Real Madrid won Real Madrid, known for its tricks and suspicious deals, beat Racing with the referee's help.
