Real Madrid handed controversial red card verdict after Arsene Wenger assessment

Real Madrid beat Barcelona in El Clasico on Sunday but there was plenty of drama in the closing stages of the match with one player from each side shown a red card

Real Madrid have discovered exactly why goalkeeper Andriy Lunin was dismissed at the end of their Clasico victory over Barcelona on Sunday. Lunin didn’t make it onto the field of play, but was shown a red card deep into stoppage time not long after Pedri was dismissed for the visitors.

There was a fiery end to the game after Pedri got his marching orders for a second yellow card. Barcelona pair Ferran Torres and Alex Balde were both booked despite having already been substituted, as did Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid, while Madrid pair Eder Militao and Rodrygo were also carded.

Ukraine international Lunin received a harsher punishment than the others, though. According to Diario AS, his red card was for “leaving his bench towards the opponent’s bench, in an aggressive attitude, having to be held down by his own teammates”.

The late drama didn’t prevent Lunin’s team-mates claiming a crucial victory. Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham scored Madrid’s goals either side of a Fermin Lopez equaliser, while Mbappe also had a penalty saved by Wojciech Szczesny.

Lunin will now be suspended for his team’s next league match against Valencia. Madrid will go into next weekend’s fixtures with a five-point advantage over rivals Barca after their weekend victory.

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Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger noticed a clear gap between the two teams at the Bernabeu. Real Madrid might have only won by one goal, but Wenger believed the gap in quality was much bigger.

“El Clasico was a bit like a duel of men against boys,” Wenger said. “Real Madrid’s defence was much stronger than Barcelona’s. In attack, Real Madrid always seemed capable of scoring, while Barcelona seemed ineffective.

“They had a lot of the ball, but they never really seemed able to score. I give credit to [Real Madrid boss] Xabi Alonso, he balanced his team well.”

Alonso, who took part in many Clasico match-ups as a player but was doing so for the first time as a manager, was understandably pleased with his team’s display. “We had a lot of players back for this match and we countered our opponents really well,” the former Bayer Leverkusen boss said.

“The team was very solid defensively, although the [Barcelona] goal came from us losing the ball. We created a lot of chances up front. The team’s energy, conviction and competitiveness were important.

“We’re leaving the stadium very happy and I saw the lads and the fans enjoying themselves. There was a very good connection and it was important for the fans to see their team compete and win in a big game. They enjoyed everything and that’s what we need. This project is just getting started, but the connection with the Bernabéu is fundamental and I noticed it today.”

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