A controversial VAR resolution overshadowed Actual Madrid’s dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Atletico Madrid within the Champions League spherical of 16 on Wednesday evening. The decisive second got here when Julian Alvarez slipped whereas taking Atletico’s second penalty, resulting in a double contact that noticed his objective disallowed after a prolonged overview.
Julian Alvarez’s penalty was disallowed (X)
The incident sparked outrage amongst Atletico gamers and followers, with confusion gripping the Metropolitano as the choice was not instantly communicated contained in the stadium.
Alvarez’s penalty initially appeared to have gone in cleanly, hanging the roof of the online regardless of his slip. Nonetheless, Actual Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois claimed he instantly sensed an irregularity.
“I told the referee that I thought Alvarez touched the ball twice,” Courtois later revealed. VAR officers then intervened, reviewing the footage to find out whether or not Alvarez’s left foot had inadvertently nudged the ball onto his proper earlier than the shot.
After a prolonged pause, referee Szymon Marciniak dominated the penalty invalid, citing a double contact. Atletico’s gamers protested, and the house crowd erupted in frustration, unaware of the choice till a lot later. Whereas the stadium screens confirmed no clear replay on the time, an angle emerged after full-time, confirming Alvarez’s unintentional second contact.
Actual win 4-2 on penalties
With Atletico trailing 2-1 within the shoot-out after the overturned penalty, Actual Madrid took full benefit. Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham, and Kylian Mbappe transformed their penalties, whereas Marcos Llorente’s miss proved pricey for the hosts.
Antonio Rudiger sealed the win with a strike that slipped previous Jan Oblak’s palms, clinching a 4-2 victory for the reigning champions.
The outcome prolonged Actual Madrid’s dominance over their metropolis rivals within the Champions League, having now eradicated Atletico in 5 consecutive knockout conferences, together with two finals.
For Diego Simeone’s aspect, nonetheless, the evening might be remembered for the controversy, because the VAR intervention left a bitter style in what was in any other case an intensely fought contest, with Atletico sustaining a 1-0 lead thoughout the sport and the additional half-hour.