Barcelona moans about VAR as Real Madrid tightens grip on La Liga

With just four rounds remaining, FC Barcelona is trailing four points behind Real Madrid CF in the Spanish La Liga title race. In the weeks since football officially resumed in Spain, Barcelona's players and officials have constantly been complaining about how they think the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is being used to favour their title rivals.

Barcelona spokesperson Josep Vives says that the VAR has benefitted one team in Spain more than any other this season. He didn't openly point the finger at the league leaders, but the comment came after Real Madrid won back-to-back matches via goals scored through penalty kicks. In both occasions against Getafe and Athletic Bilbao, the penalties were awarded after a VAR review.

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu also spoke about what he feels has been the unfair usage of VAR. According to Marca, he said "I've said that the application of VAR currently isn't consistent." He added that ""Since the end of lockdown, there are decisions which favour some and go against others."

To support Bartomeu's statement, Vives said that the club's aim is to call for fairness in the use of VAR. "There has been no fairness in the application of the criteria. Some teams have been harmed and one team has benefited. The president gave an opinion and verified some facts. It seems that, at times, there is no equanimity," he said.

Meanwhile, Barcelona defender Gerard Pique said that it will be tough for them to win the league this season while alluding to the "help" their rivals are getting. "It will be very difficult to win this league, because it does not depend on us. I see it as difficult for Real Madrid to lose points. Seeing how their first two games have gone, it will be difficult," he said after their draw against Sevilla.

Surprisingly, Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone is taking Real Madrid's side on the issue. "It is fairer. If they give you more penalties, it's because you are in the opposition's area more. If they attack more, like Real Madrid, it means you are there longer," he told Goal.com.

Real Madrid now have 77 points, while Barcelona is four points behind. Mathematically, the title is still up for grabs. Unfortunately for Barcelona, their recent draws did not help them keep the lead they had before the resumption of the season.