The Valverde goal that unleashed controversy in Balaídos

Real Madrid’s victory over Celta de Vigo ended up marked by one of the most controversial moments of the LaLiga matchday. Federico Valverde’s late winner secured three crucial points for the Madrid side in the title race, but the play leading up to the goal has ignited a heated refereeing debate.

Real Madrid took the lead thanks to a powerful strike from Aurélien Tchouaméni, while the Galician side responded with personality and eventually found the equalizer. Balaídos was pushing and the match seemed destined to end in a draw.

But in the closing minutes came the moment that changed everything. Valverde fired from outside the box and the ball found the net after a deflection off a defender, triggering wild celebrations for the Madrid players. However, just before the Uruguayan’s shot there was a moment that immediately caused massive protests from Celta de Vigo players.

The ball recovery that started the move came from Manuel Ángel, a Real Madrid academy player. The issue is that the replay appeared to show a possible foul on Fer López, which sparked outrage from the home side and the crowd at Balaídos.

The possible Jutglà handball that fueled the debate

Before the decisive play, another controversial moment occurred inside Celta’s penalty area. During a corner kick for Real Madrid, the ball struck the arm of Ferran Jutglà, who was marking Tchouaméni.

Referee Isidro Díaz de Mera was alerted by the VAR to review the play, creating expectations of a potential penalty for the Madrid side. In the replay, the ball clearly appears to hit the Celta player’s arm while it is raised.

However, after reviewing the incident, the referee decided not to award a penalty, determining that the action was preceded by a foul committed by a Real Madrid attacker. The decision surprised even some Madrid players, who barely appealed for the spot kick.

According to former referee Iturralde González on Cadena SER, the play should have been judged differently. In his analysis, Jutglà’s arm was in an unnatural position and a penalty should have been awarded to Real Madrid, regardless of the previous contact.

The play before the goal: a clear foul by Manuel Ángel?

The most debated moment of the match came just before the decisive goal. Manuel Ángel slid in to recover the ball against Fer López, starting the attacking sequence that eventually led to Valverde’s shot.

Television replays appear to show that the Madrid player did not touch the ball and instead brought down the Celta midfielder, which triggered immediate protests from the home team.

According to the analysis from Iturralde González, the situation is straightforward: he doesn’t touch the ball and lifts his leg to knock the opponent down — it’s a clear foul.

Despite the protests, neither the referee nor the VAR intervened to overturn the play, allowing the action to continue until it ended with the goal that decided the match.

Celta erupt in anger while Real Madrid stay alive in the title race

After Federico Valverde’s goal, the atmosphere inside Balaídos became explosive. Celta de Vigo players surrounded the referee, protesting the alleged foul in the buildup while the stadium voiced its anger with whistles and boos.

Celta manager Claudio Giráldez also expressed his frustration after the match. The coach insisted the foul seemed obvious and lamented that neither the referee nor the VAR corrected the play that ultimately defined the game.

Beyond the controversy, the result has a direct impact on the title race. With this victory, Real Madrid remain within touching distance of the top spot and continue to pressure FC Barcelona, who cannot afford any slip-ups if they want to maintain their lead in the standings.

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