Madrid’s evening at the Santiago Bernabéu turned on a disputed incident before Real Madrid built a two-goal first-half lead over Sevilla. Arda Güler was at the centre of the argument after a collision with Peque Fernández, then became the scorer who opened the match.
A contentious first half in Madrid
- In the 22nd minute, Güler made contact with Sevilla’s Peque Fernández, who remained on the ground as visiting players appealed for the Turkish midfielder to be sent off.
- The debate centred on whether Güler had used an elbow. The referee did not produce a red card, and VAR did not alter the decision.
- The incident could not be judged conclusively from the available pictures. Former referee Iturralde González said a blow to the face would merit a dismissal, while contact with the chest without excessive force could warrant only a yellow card.
- Eight minutes after the flashpoint, Güler put Real Madrid ahead in the 30th minute with a strike from outside the penalty area.
- Kylian Mbappé doubled the home side’s advantage seven minutes later, making it 2-0 in the 37th minute.
Real Madrid therefore reached half-time with a commanding scoreline, but Sevilla’s protests over the earlier Güler-Peque encounter remained the defining controversy of the opening period. The same player whom Sevilla believed should have left the pitch had instead changed the match on the scoreboard.
