Outrage in the Catalan press after Super Cup VAR controversy

The semi-final between Barcelona and Atletico was contentious, to say the least. Barcelona were superior in the first half, despite Koke's goal putting them behind, but then came the comeback from Valverde's men. 

However, their lead would not last all that long: in a few crazy minutes in the final stretch, Atletico managed to turn the result around with two goals. Simeone's men won 2-3 and earned a place in the Spanish Super Cup's final, but the controversy on the pitch could overshadow their result. 

Indeed, Barça's men left angry after a few of the referee's decisions went against them. Possible penalties, two disallowed goals... decisions that, according to Barcelona fans, were unfair, and it seems the Catalan press agrees. 

"SuperVAR!", headlined 'Mundo Deportivo' on the front page this Friday in the aftermath of the duel. "A Barça that shone in attack lets Atletico beat them, and now they will dispute the title with Real Madrid. VAR disallowed two goals and there were three possible penalties not kicked by Felipe, Thomas and Pique," he added.

For his part, 'Sport' said the result was "inexplicable", adding that Barça "allowed itself to be overcome in a fateful end" despite having played "the best minutes of the season". In addition, they claimed Messi's good performance  was "overshadowed by the fragility of the defense and VAR decisions, which sank the team."