Bernabéu closed the night with a favorable result for Real Madrid and a heated debate. The victory against Mallorca has come accompanied by refereeing decisions that are dominating the post-match conversation. The match has left a sense of regulatory uncertainty that has gone beyond the purely sporting aspect.
Five Madridist celebrations and three disallowed goals with Sánchez Martínez and Pulido Santana
The match ended 2-1, but Real Madrid celebrated five times inside the Balearic box. Three actions didn't make it to the scoreboard, two of them after passing the VAR review. The main referee was José María Sánchez Martínez and in the VOR room was Pulido Santana. Mbappé's first goal, in the sixth minute, was ruled out for offside detected by VAR.
The second disallowed goal for the Frenchman came without technological intervention, after a traditional flag in stoppage time of the first half. In between, the white team turned the score around with goals from Arda Güler and Vinicius, who scored their first and second goals of the season, respectively.
The "immediacy" of Güler's hand, epicenter of regulatory controversy
The third disallowed goal was the one that caused the most tension in the stadium. Arda Güler scored in the 56th minute, but the referee disallowed it after a review for a previous handball by the striker himself. The current regulations invalidate any goal that comes immediately after a handball, whether intentional or not. The discussion focused exactly on that concept of immediacy.
After the touch, the shot went on target, the goalkeeper parried the attempt, and the Turk converted the rebound. For the refereeing team, the sequence was part of the same offensive action, which triggered the automatic disallowance of the goal.
José Luis Sánchez's message and the reference to the Negreira case
With the final whistle, journalist José Luis Sánchez posted a forceful message on his social media. He wrote that "Real Madrid must be taken out of this rot," before adding "filthy Negreira League." The expression refers to the judicial controversy over payments linked to Barça, an issue that Madridist circles often raise when questioning competitive integrity. His comment joined other angry reactions from media figures close to the club, who interpreted the disallowances as an excessive sanctioning pattern.
Beyond the regulatory storm, the match offered solid conclusions for both teams. Madrid were superior for long stretches, although Mallorca had clear chances to equalize. Muriqi's opening goal, from a set piece, was the first goal conceded by Xabi Alonso's side this season.
With nine points in three matchdays, the white team keeps their perfect record and puts pressure on their pursuers. The week will start with added pressure for Barça, Athletic, and Villarreal, who are forced to respond to keep up the pace at the top.