Alberola Rojas took charge as Atletico Madrid hosted Barcelona, a game the Catalans won 2-1 in the standout fixture of matchday 12 in La Liga.
Refereeing specialists "Archivo VAR" handed Alberola Rojas an outstanding 8 out of 10.
According to the site, Rojas produced a top-class display and managed the match superbly.
He usually stamps his authority through firmness. This time he switched things up. He stayed closer to the players, talked to them when they asked, and calmed the tempo without reaching for his cards.
Lamine Yamal and Alex Baena protested in the first half. Another official might have gone straight for a yellow. Rojas chose to talk it out instead.
It was a risky gamble, and it paid off handsomely. The protests stopped, the players refocused on their football, and the tension slowly drained away.
One very minor gripe: he gave a handful of scattered fouls he could have waved away. Beyond that, this was the kind of performance that explains why UEFA are backing him and handing him bigger opportunities to climb the ladder.
Amid all that, Rojas made one important call that counts heavily in his favour. In the first half, Baena brought Yamal down on the edge of the box with no attempt to play the ball, just before Yamal stepped inside the area.
A penalty looked on the cards. Rojas didn't take the bait, showing the yellow and awarding a free-kick from outside the box.
That was the right call, and it only strengthens his reputation. He closed out a game with no serious mistakes, his slips few enough to count on one hand.