Barcelona’s head coach, Xavi, has accused Real Madrid of benefiting from controversial referee decisions in their comeback win against Almeria. Madrid initially trailed 2-0 at half-time against the bottom-of-the-league Almeria but secured a 3-2 victory with a late winner from Dani Carvajal, assisted by three debatable VAR calls, including the decisive ninth-minute injury-time goal.
After the match, Almeria midfielder Gonzalo Melero claimed his team was ‘robbed,’ stating, “It pains me to say it, but there’s no other way to take it. What happened today went beyond all limits, it was unbelievable. Nothing more could have been done for them to win the game.”
Xavi echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the difficulty Barcelona faces in winning La Liga this season. He referenced controversial incidents in previous matches, saying, “I’ve seen it. I stick with Garitano’s [Almeria head coach] words and Relano’s [Spanish journalist] reflection. That’s the good one, the correct one. If we speak up, they sanction us, but everyone has seen it.”
Despite the challenges, Xavi expressed satisfaction with Barcelona’s performance, urging the team to continue working. He highlighted previous contentious situations and suggested they could have gained additional points without such incidents.
In conclusion, Xavi stated, “In the end, they are not excuses; it is the reality. Situations in the 95th minute that come up against us. Today we have to talk about the team’s game, satisfied, continue on the path.”
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