Both of Real's goals involved Bellingham and stemmed from controversial refereeing decisions. For the first goal, Bellingham rose high to head the ball, but it appeared to graze his hand before Dean Huijsen put it into the net. According to the rules, any handball leading to a goal, whether accidental or intentional, should be disallowed. Despite this, both the main referee and the video assistant referee (VAR) team remained silent.

In the 87th minute, Vinicius collided with goalkeeper Inaki Pena's face with his shin, causing Pena to bleed. This collision initiated the sequence that led to Real's 2-2 equalizer, with Kylian Mbappe assisting Bellingham. Slow-motion replays suggested Vinicius might have fouled the Elche goalkeeper, yet VAR did not intervene, despite protests from the home team.