There's claims Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Jr should've been sent off in the first-half of last night's Copa del Rey semifinal first-leg defeat to Barcelona.

Halfway through the first half, specifically in the 24th minute, Vinicius Jr and Frenkie de Jong clashed for the ball, with the Brazilian grabbing the Dutchman by the neck and throwing him to the ground.

Moments after the action, with several Barça players demanding a red card, ref Jose Luis Munuera Montero explained to Eder Militao why he only showed the yellow card to his teammate and not to the Dutchman.

The referee argued: "Eder... Eder, listen to me. He grabs him, okay? He grabs him by the neck and throws him to the ground."

Although there is doubt as to whether the referee told Militao that it was red, in the moment he says "take him", and everything seems to suggest that Munuera Montero made a clear decision that Vini Jr's actions did not deserve a red.

However, Eduardo Iturralde González, a former referee, said on 'Carrusel Deportivo' of Cadena SER that the Brazilian should have seen the second yellow after the protests made.

"A top referee like Munuera Montero cannot allow a player to face him and point his finger at him," he insisted.