Alvaro Arbeloa blasts officials as Real Madrid slip again in La Liga title race

By SABC Sport
11th April 2026

Real Madrid were left frustrated after a 1-1 draw with Girona at the Bernabeu, with a late penalty controversy overshadowing another damaging result in the La Liga title race.

Federico Valverde fired Madrid ahead early in the second half with a powerful long-range strike in the 51st minute. However, Girona responded just 11 minutes later when Thomas Lemar struck low from the edge of the box to level the score.

The decisive moment came late on when Kylian Mbappe went down inside the area after apparent contact from Vitor Reis. Referee Javier Alberola waved play on, and VAR did not intervene, sparking anger from the home side.

Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa did not hide his frustration after the match. "For me it's a penalty from here to the moon," he said. "I don't understand it, and I don't think anybody does."

He added: "To win we have to give 200%. We can't win at 90%. If you don't give everything, these things can happen."

The result leaves Madrid six points behind Barcelona, who also have a game in hand, increasing the pressure on their title challenge. It also extends a poor run of form following recent defeats to Mallorca and Bayern Munich.

Despite the setback, Arbeloa backed his star players, insisting there is no concern over Mbappe or Vinicius Junior. He also praised Jude Bellingham after his return from injury, saying the midfielder looked "agile and confident" in his first start back.

Madrid must now quickly regroup ahead of their Champions League quarter-final second leg at Bayern Munich on Wednesday, knowing their season could hinge on the response.