Real Madrid needed help from VAR — a lot of help — to avoid an embarrassing setback at home against last-place Almeria in the Spanish league on Sunday, according to AP.

Madrid got three favorable video reviews in the second half, then scored a winner nine minutes into stoppage time to rally to a 3-2 win over the only team yet to win in the league this season.

The dramatic late victory kept Madrid one point behind Girona, which continued its surprising run for the title by routing relegation-threatened Sevilla 5-1 with a hat trick by Artem Dovbyk.

Barcelona moved back into third place with a 4-2 win over Real Betis, with substitute João Félix breaking the deadlock in the 90th minute and Ferran Torres completing his hat trick in stoppage time. The Catalan club remains seven points behind Madrid and eight behind Girona.

Dani Carvajal scored Madrid’s winner from close range after a cross into the area, delighting the crowd at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium and sending the Almeria players into despair.

The goal came after three separate VAR decisions allowed Madrid to stay in the game after trailing 2-0 in the first half. Madrid was awarded a penalty kick that made it 2-1, saw an Almería goal disallowed that would have made it 3-1, and got the 2-2 equalizer after the goal had been initially disallowed by the referee.