- VAR recorded a historic 189 interventions in La Liga 2024-25
- Real Madrid faced most VAR decisions against
- Barcelona benefited most, with 16 favourable VAR calls
Getty Images SportNarrative busted? SHOCKING stats reveal Real Madrid among most penalised by VAR, Barcelona lead in favorable calls
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Additionally, ExpressVPN's Basic plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 10MB/month private email relay plus 10 shared aliases.
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Additionally, ExpressVPN's Advanced plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 100MB/month private email relay plus 50 shared aliases and a custom domain, and ExpressKeys, which gives users a password management facility for an unlimited number of passwords plus a 2FA authenticator.
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Getty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
The stats tell a completely different story from the narrative that’s been pushed all season about referees and VAR favouring Real Madrid. In fact, the data reveals a rise in officiating errors, forcing a heavier reliance on VAR, especially with the introduction of semi-automatic offside technology. A record 86 penalties and 40 red cards were awarded following VAR checks, along with 62 goals allowed and 40 disallowed for offside. Real Madrid had eight goals ruled out by VAR - the most of any team - while Barcelona's opponents had five goals disallowed, one of the highest in the league.
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID AND BARCELONA?
With Xabi Alonso now in charge, Real Madrid will shift their focus to the Club World Cup, their first major test of the new season. Following a trophyless campaign, the club are active in the transfer market and have already secured a few major signings ahead of the 2025–26 season. Barcelona, meanwhile, will take a short break before regrouping for pre-season. Having dominated domestically, their focus will be on reshaping the squad and pushing for Champions League success next season.
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