Barcelona and Atletico played out an incident-packed game in La Liga
on Saturday in the first of three games between the two sides over the coming weeks.The game saw plenty of controversy, not least the decision not to send Gerard Martin off early in the second half.
Martin was originally shown a red card for a challenge on Thiago Almada. TV replays showed Martin winning the ball first but then catching the Atletico player with his studs on the follow through.
However, referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer
was urged to review his decision by VAR Mario Melero López and decided instead to award the Barcelona defender with a yellow card.
Mundo Deportivo’s refereeing analyst César Barrenechea Montero has provided an explanation for the decision, saying: “there was no intent to harm; the home player’s safety may have been at risk, but I think a yellow card is sufficient.”
The decision left Atletico furious, particularly as they had already been reduced to 10 in the first half when Nico Gonzalez saw red for a foul on Lamine Yamal.
According to MisterChip, the decision was the first time since VAR was introduced in La Liga that a red card for a Barcelona players has been overturned.
