Real Madrid star in trouble after mocking the officiating

Real Madrid cruised to a 3-0 win at Racing, though the night was far from free of refereeing controversy.

The Sport newspaper reported that the hosts protested fiercely over two incidents. The first was the penalty awarded after Mbappé went down inside the box. The second was a spot-kick initially given for handball against Tchouaméni, before referee Munuera Montero reviewed the incident on VAR and reversed his decision.

DAZN then aired footage that showed Real Madrid star Marc Cucurella mocking the assistant referee who had flagged for the penalty.

For several seconds the full-back stared at the assistant, firing sarcastic thumbs-up and finger signals his way while repeatedly saying the word "brilliant", mocking what he saw as a blown call.

The clip spread fast across social media and left Cucurella open to criticism for his treatment of a figure of authority on the pitch.

That moment became one of the most shared of a game littered with protests from Racing's players and coaching staff.

José Alberto, the home side's coach, had his say in the post-match press conference: "From my point of view, the decision was correct in view of the footage of the penalty that was awarded in our favour and then cancelled, but what strikes me most is the failure to review the similar incidents in the penalty from which Real Madrid's opening goal came."

Since arriving from Chelsea last summer, Cucurella has become an indispensable presence at left-back for Madrid.

He needed time to hit his best level, but he has racked up 14 appearances across all competitions, starting nine of them, with his total minutes for his new club nudging close to 1,000.