Sevilla star Ivan Rakitic claimed his side deserved their penalty in the closing stages of their tense 2-2 draw at Real Madrid.
The two La Liga title rivals were forced to settle for a point each in the Spanish capital as Toni Kroos’ added time strike pinched a late draw for the defending champions.
However, the game was dominated by controversy at the Estadio Alfredo di Stefano as referee Juan Martinez Munuera found himself in the heart of the action after initially awarding a 74th minute penalty in favour of Real Madrid after Karim Benzema was felled by Bono.
But he opted to overturn that decision and call and point to the spot at the other end, after a handball inside the box, which Rakitic converted, and the Croatian international believes the right call was made.
“For me it was a clear penalty as per the handball,” he told a post match interview with Marca.
“We can talk about how each person interprets it. But if the handball changes the direction of the ball, it is a penalty.”
The draw means Sevilla’s slim chances of overhauling their title rivals remain intact ahead of next weekend’s trip to Valencia.
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