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Real Madrid continued the curse on metropolis rivals Atletico Madrid within the Champions League with a controversial penalty shoot-out that introduced a VAR intervention.
The holders superior to the quarter-finals, the place they are going to play Arsenal, on an evening of drama on the Metropolitano that can have enraged the hosts and supervisor Diego Simeone.
Actual Madrid have now overwhelmed Atletico Madrid in five consecutive Champions League meetings, together with the 2014 and 2016 finals, a semi-final, a quarter-final, and now a last-16 conflict.
This one went to penalties after Conor Gallagher’s purpose contained in the opening minute on the Metropolitano cancelled out Actual Madrid’s 2-1 win on the Bernabeu final week.
Actual Madrid had one of the best probability to win the tie on the night time however Vinicius Jr blazed his penalty over the crossbar within the second half – with the tie advancing to penalties after additional time was goalless.
What occurred within the penalty shoot-out?
Actual Madrid went first and scored their first two efforts, with Kylian Mbappe sending the Jan Oblak the fallacious means and Jude Bellingham additionally scoring.
Alexander Sorloth had scored Atletico’s first penalty earlier than the ball was handed to Julian Alvarez, the previous Manchester Metropolis ahead and Argentina’s World Cup winner.
Alvarez slipped, nonetheless, as he ran to the ball, sending his kick excessive. However Alvarez appeared to have luck on his aspect and it flew underneath the bar and into the roof of the web.
The next moments introduced controversy and confusion. Earlier than Fede Valverde might take Actual Madrid’s subsequent penalty, referee Szymon Marciniak stopped the play for a VAR evaluation.
The VAR checked to see if Alvarez touched the ball twice after he slipped. Whereas preliminary replays broadcast all over the world weren’t conclusive, it was dominated that Alvarez touched the ball along with his left foot after he slipped, earlier than kicking along with his proper.
The VAR beneficial that the penalty ought to be disallowed and the VAR choice confirmed: “Atleti participant, No19, double touched the ball when the penalty kick was taken.”
Nevertheless, whereas referee Marciniak held up two fingers to indicate a ‘double contact’, the choice was not initially broadcast to the stadium, with Atletico followers celebrating although they now trailed 2-1.
A greater angle, from low down and behind the purpose, emerged roughly an hour after full-time and confirmed that Alvarez’s sliding left foot had certainly nudged the ball onto his proper along with his instep after he had slipped.
Afterwards, Actual Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois even claimed that he “sensed” that Alvarez had dedicated an irregular kick and alerted the referee.
“I sense that (Alvarez) touched the ball twice and I advised the refere,” Courtois mentioned. “It isn’t straightforward to see and it is dangerous luck for them.”
What occurred after that?
Valverde scored his penalty to place Actual Madrid 3-1 up. Even when Angel Correa scored to make it 3-2, many Atletico followers within the stadium appeared to suppose that they have been stage.
Atletico have been handed a possible reprieve, nonetheless, when Oblak saved from Lucas Vazquez. However the hosts couldn’t take benefit as Marcos Llorente smashed his kick towards the bar.
That meant Antonio Rudiger had the prospect to win the tie for Actual Madrid. He went left and though Oblak bought his palms to it, the ball squirmed via and creeped over the road.
Actual Madrid received the shoot-out 4-2, maintaining their bid of a sixteenth Champions League alive. Diego Simeone led his Atletico gamers across the Metropolitano, gesturing wildly to the Atletico followers.
On TNT Sport, former Actual Madrid participant and Champions League winner Steve McManaman mentioned it summed up his former staff in Europe’s prime competitors.
“Typically one of the best staff does not win. Typically you want an enormous chunk of luck to undergo. Actual Madrid have had luck in spades tonight,” he mentioned.
“Julian Alvarez slipping, an irregular kick disallowed. Antonio Rudiger sneaking within the final kick. Simply wow. They bought away with it.
“You possibly can see why Atletico Madrid really feel just like the underdogs. They’ve given their all and they’re out.”
How might the VAR be so certain that Alvarez touched it twice?
The legal guidelines of the sport, set by IFAB, are clear in the case of penalties: “the kicker could not play the ball a second time”.
However how might VAR you should definitely disallow Alvarez’s penalty when the 2 replays proven by broadcasters didn’t supply definitive proof that there was a double contact?
The Champions League ball doesn’t have a built-in chip, not like with the ball utilized by Uefa on the Euros or by Fifa on the World Cup to find out an affect.
Nevertheless, the Champions League does function semi-automated offside technology (SOAT), which makes use of 30 in-stadium cameras and AI to mechanically decide the ‘kick-point’ for offside selections.
The VAR could have used that know-how, relatively than the video replays, to have dominated that Alvarez had touched the ball twice.
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