Xavi blames referee for El-Classico defeat as Barcelona's title hopes fade

Xavi blames referee for El-Classico defeat as Barcelona's title hopes fade

Hassan Abdulsalam 07:30 - 22.04.2024

Barcelona had a goal controversially disallowed in the first half, and the manager erupted over perceived refereeing injustices throughout the match.

Barcelona's title aspirations suffered a significant setback, and a furious Xavi Hernandez didn't hold back in expressing his outrage.

The manager erupted over perceived refereeing injustices throughout the match, with a disallowed goal in the first half serving as the tipping point.

The flashpoint came in the first half when a shot from Lamine Yamal was controversially ruled out for not crossing the line. This decision ignited Xavi's fury, and his complaints extended beyond the disallowed goal.

He continued to voice his disapproval of the refereeing decisions throughout the match, suggesting further calls went against his team.

"I’m not going to say anything about the referee because I will be banned if I do but it was there for all to see. We were the better team tonight and we deserved to win," he said.

He continued, "The referee did not get a single decision right. It’s a disgrace and we should not remain silent. I hoped the referee would either go unnoticed or get his decisions right but it was neither of those two things."

Bellingham steals the show in dramatic El Clasico

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Jude Bellingham was the hero for Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, helping Los Blancos snatch a last-gasp victory against their fierce rivals.

The young Englishman continued his El Clasico dominance, scoring his third goal of the season against Barcelona in a dramatic fashion.

Real Madrid found themselves trailing 2-1 after substitute Fermin Lopez put the visitors ahead in the 69th minute.

However, the Spanish giants refused to surrender. Lucas Vazquez equalized after some good work from Vinicius Junior, who picked him out with a nice pass at the back post.

Bellingham, ever the thorn in Barcelona's side, emerged as the hero in stoppage time. His winning goal opened an 11-point lead against Xavi's men and extinguished Barcelona's title hopes in La Liga.

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