A dramatic La Liga encounter between Elche and Real Madrid ended in a 2-2 draw on Sunday, November 23, 2025, but the result was overshadowed by a controversial incident involving Vinicius Junior and Elche goalkeeper Iñaki Peña. The collision, which left Peña bleeding heavily, occurred in the buildup to Jude Bellingham's equalizing goal in the 87th minute, sparking immediate debate and outrage.
As both players contested a loose ball inside the penalty area, Vinicius' knee made contact with Peña's face. The Elche goalkeeper immediately fell to the ground, visibly dazed and clutching his face, with blood streaming from his nose. Despite the protests from Elche players, the referee allowed play to continue, and Bellingham promptly scored, leveling the score at 2-2.
The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) reviewed the play to determine if Vinicius had fouled Peña, but the goal was allowed to stand, further intensifying the controversy. Many observers felt that the challenge was a clear foul that prevented Peña from being able to contest the rebound.
Elche coach Eder Sarabia did not mince words in his post-match interview, expressing his anger and frustration with the refereeing decisions. Sarabia stated, "Vinícius Junior committed a clear foul on Iñaki Pena,” and that the collision was "a clear foul on the goalkeeper". He also added, "It makes me angry to have to waste time on these things... when you go ahead twice and feel that there were factors that affected the final result, you feel angry". He also said that Peña "didn't see the play" because "Vinicius hits him in the face".
In the immediate aftermath, Peña attempted to downplay the incident, initially describing it as "just a bump" and "part of the game". He explained, "He shoots, I stop it, and with the momentum, his knee hits me in the nose... it was just a knock, that's all". However, after seeing replays of the collision, Peña seemed to backtrack on his initial assessment, expressing his disappointment with the VAR's decision. "For me, it is a foul because he goes for the ball and doesn't let me play... but if the referee goes to VAR and says it's not...".
Despite the controversial nature of the incident, Peña also conveyed pride in his team's performance. "We're left with the feeling that we played a great game and that we gave our all on the pitch... The draw at the end leaves you with a bitter taste, but taking points from Real Madrid and leaving like this speaks volumes about our ambition," he said.
The draw extends Real Madrid's winless run to three matches and leaves their lead at the top of La Liga at just one point. The controversy surrounding the Vinicius-Peña collision is likely to continue in the coming days, with many questioning the VAR's decision not to penalize the Real Madrid forward.
