Real Madrid receives more favorable refereeing decisions than FC Barcelona according to statistical analysis published by Catalan media during the international break, RMC Sport reported.
The statistical review emerges as the dispute between the two Spanish clubs continues, fueled by the Negreira case. In that ongoing investigation, Barcelona and former club officials face scrutiny over payments exceeding 7.3 million euros made to José María Enríquez Negreira, the former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees, between 2001 and 2018.
Real Madrid has escalated tensions by raising the Negreira scandal with UEFA and regularly criticizing referees through club media broadcasts on Real Madrid TV. Mundo Deportivo dismissed those protests as unjustified, publishing data collected during the current Liga campaign.
According to data cited by Mundo Deportivo, Real Madrid leads the Spanish top flight by drawing 171 fouls while being the least sanctioned team in the league with 102 cautions or penalties.
Conversely, Barcelona ranks as the second-least fouled team in the division behind Real Sociedad with 122 fouls won, despite employing an aggressive possession-heavy style of play. The Catalan club also occupies the 15th spot among the most heavily penalized teams with 113 total fouls recorded against them.
Individual player statistics show a distinct split between the two squads across the opening 12 fixtures of the domestic season. Three Barcelona players feature among the 50 most penalized players in the league, including Fermin Lopez, Lamine Yamal, and Xavi Espart. No Real Madrid players appear in that defensive disciplinary category.
Real Madrid players dominate the rankings for individuals targeted by opponents. Jude Bellingham leads all Liga players in fouls suffered, while teammates Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Jr., and Arda Güler join him inside the top 10. Lamine Yamal stands as Barcelona’s highest-ranked player in that metric at 13th overall.
Barcelona currently holds first place in the Liga standings after 12 matches played, holding a three-point advantage over second-place Real Madrid.
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