Martínez Munuera to Officiate Alavés vs Barcelona Clash in La Liga
The referee for this weekend’s showdown between Alavés and FC Barcelona has been confirmed, with international referee Martínez Munuera set to take charge. This marks his third time officiating Barcelona in the current season. His previous encounters with the Blaugrana include a narrow victory against Athletic Club de Bilbao in the 10th round and overseeing the Supercopa de España final, where Barcelona faced a 4-1 defeat against Real Madrid in Saudi Arabia.
Martínez Munuera, who recently participated in the UEFA referees and VAR course for the Champions League, brings a track record of 32 matches officiating Barcelona. His history includes 20 victories, 6 draws, and six losses for the Catalan club. Notably, two of these defeats occurred in the last three encounters, both against Real Madrid in the Supercopa final and the Copa del Rey semifinal second leg from the previous season. Interestingly, despite numerous matches involving Alavés and Barcelona individually, this will be the first time Martínez Munuera officiates a match between the two teams.
For Alavés, the referee has been in charge on 11 occasions, resulting in four victories, two draws, and five defeats. Mario Melero López will handle the VAR duties for the upcoming match.
