Breaking down the penalty statistics: Barcelona and Real Madrid’s numbers tell different stories

An intriguing statistic has emerged highlighting a clear disparity in penalty decisions between Barcelona and Real Madrid. 

According to Mundo Deportivo, after 22 league games this season, Real Madrid are the only team that has not been awarded a single penalty against them. 

In stark contrast, they lead the penalty count in their favour with 10, though they have missed two of them. Villarreal follow closely with eight penalties taken. 

The difference in penalties for Real Madrid, with a +10 tally, is far greater compared to other top teams like Barcelona, who have taken four and received three, or Atletico Madrid, who have executed two penalties and conceded the same amount.

A detailed look at the stat

Looking at the larger picture across the seven seasons since VAR was introduced (2018-19), Real Madrid have a significant penalty advantage, with a balance of +31, thanks to 51 penalties awarded in their favour and 30 against them. 

Real Madrid have been awarded the most penalties this season. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

Barcelona, by comparison, has a +18 balance with 43 penalties in their favour and 25 against them.

However, the discrepancy doesn’t stop at penalties. Real Madrid’s benefit from offside goals being ruled out is also noteworthy. 

Since the introduction of VAR, 25 goals have been disallowed for Real Madrid for offside, while they have only had 7 goals ruled out against them. This gives them a significant +18 advantage in terms of disallowed goals. 

In comparison, Barcelona have 12 goals disallowed, with 9 goals ruled out against them, leading to a modest +3 advantage.

The stark contrast in these statistics paints a picture of how, despite Real Madrid frequently raising concerns about refereeing decisions, they continue to be favoured when it comes to penalties and offside calls. 

With such a significant difference in their favour, it is clear that VAR has worked in Real Madrid’s favour more often than not, creating an uneven playing field when compared to their competitors.