Christina Unkel, a rules analyst, has outlined the series of errors that led to Bayern Munich’s disallowed goal against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
The stage was set for an enthralling second leg as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, two European powerhouses, drew 2-2 in the first leg held in Germany.
The visiting team unexpectedly went ahead with a brilliant goal from Alphonso Davies, who fired a shot into the far corner of the net with his weaker right foot, giving the Germans the upper hand.
However, Manuel Neuer, who had been impeccable until that moment, made a crucial error by spilling the ball directly to Joselu’s feet in the 88th minute.
The former Stoke City player capitalised on the opportunity, slotting the ball into the net. He then doubled his tally shortly after, scoring a simple tap-in from Antonio Rudiger’s cross.
The two late goals from Joselu secured Real Madrid’s spot in the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium.
Yet, the match stirred controversy as the visiting team pressed for a late equalizer. De Ligt appeared to find the net, only for the Dutchman to be denied by the offside flag raised before the attack could fully materialise.
Rules Expert Explains Bayern Munich Disallowed Goal
CBS Sports interviewed Christina Unkel, a former FIFA referee turned rules expert, regarding the incident.
The analyst said: “The first error by the assistant referee is raising that flag, which goes against the direction of holding that flag, especially where the attacking phase of play has not yet finished.”
“Then we have the second error by the referee in accepting that recommendation by the assistant referee and blowing his whistle instead of saying, ‘Thank you, I see you. I’m going to hold my whistle until this play goes out.'”
While acknowledging the error, Unkel told the CBS panel: “This isn’t some of the best in Europe, this actually would be considered the best [refereeing crew] in Europe.”
She further commented, expressing her dismay at the situation and adding: “It’s never a good day when the discussion truly is about a clear, critical error by the refereeing crew.”
"It's never a good day when the discussion truly is about a clear, critical error by the refereeing crew."
CBS Sports Rules Analyst @ChristinaUnkel joins the #UCLToday crew to discuss a crucial late call in Madrid 😳 pic.twitter.com/IIvOb9oVhs
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 8, 2024
Twitter Reacts To Offside Decision
As expected, Bayern fans and football enthusiasts worldwide have flocked to Twitter to express their astonishment at the offside call.
How is this offside????? pic.twitter.com/HDL3HMKEa2
— Bayern & Football (@MunichFanpage) May 8, 2024
No matter if this was offside or onside: This is a close call. And the rules say, for close calls like this you MUST keep playing until the attack is over, then check VAR. If this happens in a 2nd Bundesliga mid table game nobody cares. But this is literally the UCL semi final. pic.twitter.com/3eNsfP7X64
— 𝗙𝗜𝗔𝗚𝗢 (@fiago7) May 8, 2024
Thought the whole point of delaying blowing the whistle and VAR was to avoid huge games like this being ruined by decisions? Never ending 🤣
— Tom Garratt (@Tgarratt10) May 8, 2024
Somethings never change pic.twitter.com/rFuFvxfpbt
— Troll Football (@TrollFootball) May 9, 2024
Thomas Tuchel, Mathias De Ligt, and Thomas Muller weighed in on the controversial decision:
🚨🗣️ Tuchel “This Referee mistake would not have happened on Real Madrid side”
🗣️ Muller: "I have seen Cristiano Ronaldo scoring offside goals 7 years ago, but this time it happened in the presence of VAR"
🗣️ De ligt: "the Referee told me, Sorry i Made mistake"
Horrible 🤦 pic.twitter.com/GVEVzIlC51
— ACE (fan) (@FCB_ACEE) May 9, 2024
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