"I don't understand it anymore" - Pundit questions whether Atletico Madrid player should have been sent off for tackle in 1-0 loss to Barcelona

Former Dutch forward Marco van Basten has questioned the referee's decision to not award a foul against Atletico Madrid defender Mario Hermoso for his tackle against Barcelona's Joao Felix on Sunday (December 3).

Xavi Hernandez's Barcelona defeated Atletico Madrid 1-0 at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium in their La Liga clash. Joao Felix scored the only goal of the match in the 28th minute, which was assisted by Brazilian winger Raphinha.

However, apart from the solitary goal, the match was filled with controversial moments. One such incident took place in the 43rd minute when Ilkay Gundogan passed the ball to Joao Felix in front of goal. After the Portuguese forward got his shot away, he was tackled by Mario Hermoso.

The Atletico Madrid defender's tackle missed the ball and made a connection with Felix's ankle, causing the 24-year-old to fall to the ground. The referee did not award a penalty to Barcelona for the incident.

Addressing the foul, former Ajax forward Marco van Basten stated that Hermoso might have been sent off for the tackle had he made it in midfield. He said (via The European Lad on X):

"I don't understand it anymore. If this happened in midfield, Hermoso would have been given a yellow card, maybe even a red card."

Diego Simeone's side are currently in the fourth spot with 31 points in La Liga behind Barcelona (34), Girona (38) and Real Madrid (38). However, Atletico can match the Blaugrana's points tally as they have a match in hand.

Xavi Hernandez addresses Barcelona star's health condition

After Barcelona defeated Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid on Sunday, Xavi Hernandez was asked for an update about German goalkeeper Marc Andre Ter Stegen's fitness.

Answering the question, Xavi boss stated that the 31-year-old is currently suffering from back issues. He said (via MARCA):

"Marc has some discomfort in his back and we'll see how he is. Whatever we have to announce we will say. He has this discomfort that we can’t quite clean up. Let’s see.”

According to Mundo Deportivo, the German goalkeeper is expected to go through a few more tests and scans, which will help the fitness staff understand his situation better. However, nothing has been confirmed by the coach or the team yet.

Inaki Pena has been performing well in the place of Marc Andre Ter Stegen for Barcelona. In just a week, Pena has given impressive performance against Porto in the UEFA Champions League and Atletico Madrid in La Liga.