The female Classic between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, which took place on March 23, 2025 at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys de Montjuïc, was a historic moment: the first victory of Real Madrid feminine on the Barça after 21 meetings (1-3)! However, the result was obscured by an arbitral dispute that has unleashed an intense debate on the media, on social media and among party players. Then we offer you a detailed analysis of the encounter, the most valuable player (MVP), the controversy of arbitration, reactions and narratives that evidence certain favoritisms.
Party analysis
The meeting began with a well-positioned Real Madrid, taking advantage of its solid defense and speed in transitions. In the 41st minute, Alba Redondo opened the marker with a headline after a precise center, demonstrating the effectiveness of the white team in the ball games stopped. For its part, Barcelona, which tends to dominate, had a somewhat irregular first time, with little clarity in the last meters despite controlling possession.
In the second half, the Barça reacted with the entrance of Salma Paralluelo and Jana Fernández, intensifying its pressure. Caroline Graham Hansen tied up in the 67th minute with a headline after a center in Mapi León, returning hope to the culés fans. However, the match was complicated in the final minutes. After the controversial annulment of a Jana Fernandez goal in the 81st minute (to be detailed later), Real Madrid sealed his victory with a doubling of Caroline Weir: first in the 88th, after a Linda Caicedo pass, and then in the 97th, taking advantage of a bounce in a dubious move that many considered a “ghost coup”.
The Barça, leader of the F League with 63 points, saw his reduced advantage at only 4 points on the Real Madrid (59), which also has an outstanding match. This defeat, the second of the Barça in the season, broke his streak of unbearable in Classics and revived the struggle for the title.
MVP Party
Caroline Weir (Real Madrid) The most valuable player took all the applause. The Scottish, with its impressive double in the final minutes, not only sealed a historic victory, but also showed its incredible technical quality and ability to be in the right place at the right time. His first goal, a precise shot after a great assistance from Caicedo, and the second, taking advantage of a loose ball, were key to the triumph. In addition, his presence in the field was fundamental for Madrid to maintain balance in the face of the siege of the team. Weir, at its best moment since he arrived at the white club, became a symbol of the competitive growth of the team.
Honorary mention for Caroline Graham Hansen (Barcelona), whose goal and constant danger by the right band made her the best of her team, although she could not avoid defeat.
The detailed arbitration controversy
The decisive moment of the match came in the 81st minute, with the score 1-1. Jana Fernández seemed to have scored 2-1 for the Barça after a move that started Alexia Putellas, who sent a pass to Graham Hansen. The Norwegian, who was in a legal position according to the repetitions, did not touch the ball, which was cleared from head by the defender of Real Madrid, Yasmim Assis. Jana, coming from behind, managed to overcome Misa Rodriguez. However, the arbitra Olatz Rivera Olmedo, with the help of her assistant, annulled the goal for an alleged out-of-play by Graham Hansen, a decision that the images show was wrong: at the time of the pass of Alexia, no Barça player was in an anti-reglamentary position.
The lack of VAR in the F League, which is only used in the advanced stages of competitions like the Champions League, intensified the controversy. Experts like Eduardo Iturralde González, in Carrusel Deportivo, commented: “It is a legal goal. The assistant is wrong, because the ball comes from a rejection of the defense of Madrid”. This move changed the course of the game, as six minutes later, Weir scored 2-1 for Madrid, and the third goal, in the 97th minute, sealed a chaotic end under an intense grenade.
Another controversial moment was the third goal of Madrid, which was validated despite the doubts about whether the ball completely crossed the line after a head of Athenea del Castillo and the auction of Weir. Although the images are not conclusive, the arbitral decision again favored Madrid, which fueled criticism.
Media and social media reactions
Media:
- Sport.es He titled “Scandalo en el Clásico feminine: gol anulado al Barça por fuera de juego noeexistent”, qualifying the decision as “incomprehensible” and highlighting the outrage I culminated.
- World of Sports He spoke of a “great arbitral error” that “impided the way back” and pointed out that “Madrid needed help to win for the first time.”
- 20 minutes. analysed the frame to frame play, concluding that “there was no positional infringement” and regretting the lack of VAR.
- ElNacional.cat It was more forceful: “A real arbitration hit. Female football entered a new dimension, already known in the male.”
- In contrast, means related to Madrid, as Central Defence, minimized the controversy, focusing on the “historical exploit” and criticizing Iturralde for “not documenting” the players.
Social networks:In X, the controversy became a trend. Users blame as
@iqsolita said it was “one of the most shameless robberies of the
history”, while @SVargasOK highlighted the absence of the VAR as a
crucial factor. @FCBNOTICIAS shared the play video, which
accumulated thousands of interactions with comments like “Arbitorial shame”
Or “That’s how Madrid wins.” On the other hand, neutral fans and
madridistas celebrated the victory, publishing messages as “Historic,
with or without controversy” or “The Barça is no longer invincible”.
Statements by players and trainers
FC Barcelona:
- Alexia Putellas: “I’ve seen Jana’s goal and it’s not out of play. The arbitra told me it was from Caro [Graham Hansen] in the blockade, but it wasn’t like that. The VAR would be positive for the competition.” The captain, visibly frustrated, mixed arbitration criticism with self-criticism: “We were not at our level.”
- Jana Fernández: “The goal conditiones you. In the 80’s with 2-1 everything changes. It’s no excuse, but it helps make sport fairer.” The author of the annulled goal explicitly requested the VAR.
- Pere Romeu (trainer): “It is a reality that Jana’s goal conditiones the Classic. I have seen it and it is very clear: goal. You put 2-1 in the absence of 10 minutes and the match would have been different. It was not our best day, but this will help us correct.”
Real Madrid:
- Alberto Toril (trainer): “Let’s break a psychological barrier. We’re just winners. I’m happy for the players and the club.” He avoided entering the polemic, focusing on the merit of his team.
- Caroline Weir: Through networks, he celebrated with a “Hala Madrid!” not to mention the controversy, centered on his double and victory.
Party and bias
The transmissions reflected obvious favoritisms:
- DAZN, with F League rights, held a neutral tone in the narrative, but the guest culés commentators (such as Barça ex-jugators) insisted on “black terror” and “robo”. The play video, shared by @DAZNFutbol, criticized the arbitration.
- TV3, Catalan channel, adopted a clearly pro-Barça approach. His analysts spoke of “scandal” and “unjustifiable decision,” while the live story showed indignation with background chants like “So wins Madrid”.
- Madrid Media, like Real Madrid TV (although it did not broadcast live), they highlighted in their later analysis the “epic victory” and the “end of the culé domain”, overlooking the polemic or justifying it as part of football.
Conclusion
The female Classic of March 23, 2025 will be remembered not only for the first victory of Real Madrid, but also for an arbitration controversy that left FC Barcelona with a bitter taste. Caroline Weir stood out as the MVP, but all the attention focused on the annulled goal of Jana Fernández, a mistake that, without the help of the VAR, changed the course of the party. The reactions of players and trainers, together with the biased narratives, reveal the growing rivalry and the need for technology to ensure justice in a Spanish female football that becomes increasingly competitive. This meeting, instead of closing old wounds, has revived the debate on arbitration and promises more intense chapters in the struggle for supremacy.
