In the week leading up to the match, Los Blancos threatened to boycott the match over the selected match official after producing evidence they claimed showed his lack of ability to officiate at the top level.
However, they eventually relented and agreed to play the scheduled fixture,e but then went on to refuse to participate in any pre-match media events in protest of the officials.
Jules Kounde scored for Barcelona deep into injury time to secure a dramatic 3-2 win for the Catalans, enraging the Real Madrid bench and causing Lucas Vazquez and Vinicius Junior to charge onto the pitch in the direction of referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea.
The pair were followed by Rudiger, who was seen throwing ice from the pack strapped to his injured knee towards the same official, who then came over to the bench to show red cards to both Rudiger and Vazquez, which hardly calmed the situation.
Several Madrid players and backroom staff tried to hold Rudiger back as he became even more incensed about the situation. It eventually took six people to calm him down and lead him off the field and away from the confrontation.
In his post-match report, De Burgos Bengoetxea confirmed that Rudiger had thrown something towards him while revealing Jude Bellingham had also been sent off after the final whistle for showing an aggressive attitude towards the referee.
"In the 120th minute, player (22) Rüdiger, Antonio, was sent off for the following reason: For throwing an object from the technical area, which missed me. After being shown the red card, he had to be restrained by several members of the coaching staff, displaying an aggressive attitude," the report read.
"In the 120th minute, player (17) Vazquez Iglesias, Lucas, was sent off for the following reason: For protesting one of our decisions, entering the field of play for several meters, making gestures of disagreement.
"In the 999th minute, player (5) Bellingham, Jude Victor William, was sent off for the following reason: After the end of the match, he approached our position in an aggressive attitude, having to be restrained by his teammates."
Federico Valverde and Thibaut Courtois have underlined the importance of Real Madrid's hard-fought 2-1 win away to Alaves, a result that eased pressure on the squad and kept their La Liga challenge alive after a difficult spell.
In a thrilling Sunday of La Liga fixtures, Real Madrid, Sevilla and Celta Vigo delivered standout performances as the Spanish top flight moved deeper into the 2025-26 season.
A Raphinha brace was enough to help Barcelona to a 2-0 win over Osasuna at Camp Nou on Sunday to extend their lead at the top of LaLiga.
Hansi Flick has insisted Barcelona's lead at the top of La Liga counted for little, warning his players that maintaining focus over the long season would be the real challenge.
