Álvaro Arbeloa questioned the performance of referee Michael Oliver after Bayern Munich’s Jonathan Tah escaped a red card for serious foul play despite catching Kylian Mbappé on the calf—a tackle that left a gaping hole in the Frenchman’s sock and a nasty wound.
The hosts fell to a 2–1 defeat at the Bernabéu, courtesy of goals from Luis Díaz and Harry Kane either side of halftime. Mbappé pulled one back late on after tapping in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s piercing cross and was Madrid’s standout performer on the night—he might’ve scored more as he registered six shots in total and was a general nuisance to Bayern’s backline throughout.
Mbappé’s persistent attacking threat earned him special attention from the Munich defence with Tah putting in a particularly meaty challenge on the 27-year-old in the second half. The former Leverkusen defender caught Mbappé high above the ankle with his studs, leaving him in a crumpled heap on the floor.
Arbeloa Doesn’t Understand How Tah Avoided Red Card
Álvaro Arbeloa was NOT happy that Jonathan Tah did not get sent off for his foul on Kylian Mbappé 🫣
— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) April 7, 2026
Should it have been a red card? 🤔⬇️#UCL pic.twitter.com/1hEntykjEp
The foul earned a yellow card from English match official Oliver. However, Arbeloa was incensed by the incident that left Mbappe with a torn sock and stud scrapes on his right calf.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Arbeloa was initially asked about the booking which means midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni will miss the second leg in Munich, before he turned the attention on Oliver, insisting a red card should have been shown.
“I don’t know what the referee saw (for Tchouameni’s booking), but I also don’t know what he saw in the play that should have been a red card for the tackle on Mbappé,” he moaned.
“These are decisions that are hard to understand.”
A image from the night showing Mbappe’s ripped sock quickly went viral after the match, adding to the outrage. However, there has been no suggestion that the superstar forward has suffered any lasting injury despite the scare and should be fit for the return leg next week. Tchouaméni, however, will be absent from the roster in Munich due to suspension.
Arbeloa Lays Down Challenge to 14-Goal Mbappé
Arbeloa also praised the performance of Mbappé and called on his star forward to keep putting in the work every game.
“This is the Mbappé I want,” Arbeloa told reporters. “Very invested in every area of the game, the best player in the world, a constant threat. An Mbappé that wants to be Mbappé every day.”
Mbappé end a five-game goal drought with his tap in on Tuesday, with his last strike coming in a 2–0 win over Valencia back in February.
With his potentially tie-saving goal against Bayern, Mbappé became just the seventh player ever to score 14 or more goals in a Champions League season. He joins the illustrious company of José Altafini, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kylian Mbappe’s Gruesome Leg Wound After Raking Tackle Down Calf.
