Red mist descends on LaLiga once again

Nine matches featured an astonishing seven red cards, prompting angry reactions from clubs and their players, bordering upon open rebellion against the RFEF and their control of match officials.
Over the same weekend and elsewhere in Europe, there were zero red cards in eight Premier League fixtures, and none shown in any of the nine Bundesliga games. Serie A featured just one dismissal through seven matches, while just two players were given their marching orders in the French Ligue 1, where all 20 teams were in action between Friday and Sunday.
Elche suffer three expulsions
Incredibly, the first game of the weekend in LaLiga produced three red cards for one team. Despite being rooted to the bottom of the table, Elche seemed on their way to just a second win of the season, two goals to the good against visiting Real Betis at the half-time interval. Nevertheless, the home fans watched on in horror, when the second half descended into utter chaos.
Inside the space of just two minutes, Elche players Lisandro Magallán and Pape Cheikh both received straight red cards, before Real Betis then levelled the game at 2-2 against their nine-man hosts. But when Elche defender Enzo Roco became their third player dismissed, then Betis won the game with a penalty deep into stoppage time, the locals were unable to contain their fury.
According to the post-match report of referee Javier Iglesias Villanueva, as his team of match officials entered their changing room after the game, they received verbal abuse and threats. “You are not going to leave here!” screamed Elche owner Christian Bragnarik, after the controversial defeat for his team. Further insults were issued by Elche sporting director, Sergio Martínez Mantecon, before police intervened.
Atlético Madrid to appeal derby dismissal
Adding further fuel to fan the flames of controversy surrounding referees, Atlético Madrid were reduced to ten men in the capital derby against Real Madrid, refusing to hide their discontent after the 1-1 draw. “Nothing new at the Bernabéu” complained the official @Atleti twitter account, following a highly debateable red card for Ángel Correa.
The 27-year-old was dismissed for elbowing Real Madrid centre-back Antonio Rüdiger, although Atlético plan to appeal the red card, which could see the Argentine forward suspended for two matches. They claim that “aggressor” Correa was actually the victim against Rüdiger, even posting images of a wound sustained by their forward.
Commenting on the sense of injustice felt by his team, Atlético Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak weighed in on the refereeing debate, pointing out they have received red cards in each of the last five derby games. “Perhaps we should start the next one with a player less,” he quipped with irony, albeit refusing to directly suggest any refereeing favouritism towards Real Madrid.
Spanish football under the spotlight
Due to boasting such an expansive range of markets, wagering on football matches has become hugely popular throughout Europe, and LaLiga has earned quite the reputation when it comes to those covering discipline in games. Backed by statistical evidence, the numbers appear to indicate a higher probability of dismissals, which is inevitably attractive for punters looking to wager on red and yellow cards in games.

Alongside comparing the statistics for different leagues throughout Europe, according to expert reviewers covering online betting in Spain, taking the same approach is recommended when checking available odds. No two bookmakers are the same, given that some offer a broader selection of dedicated betting markets, including those for cards and refereeing decisions. Likewise, the value of odds can also vary significantly between sites.
While the number and frequency of cards in games is certainly appealing to punters, looking to benefit whenever staking on games, there clearly seems to be an issue regarding discipline within Spanish football. Refereeing decisions are increasingly under the spotlight, especially now that VAR is available to replay and review every call from various angles, putting an even greater level of scrutiny upon each verdict.