Although it did nothing to affect the consequence, pundits and followers alike had been baffled as Darwin Nunez was denied a transparent penalty in Liverpool’s 1-0 win at RB Leipzig.
Liverpool made it three wins from three within the Champions League as Nunez’s first-half aim was sufficient to seal all three factors at Leipzig.
But it surely might have been a wholly extra snug evening had both referee Sandro Scharer or VAR Fedayi San dominated that Nunez had been tripped by centre-back Willi Orban in Leipzig’s penalty space.
Scharer waved appeals away and a test by San within the VAR sales space lasted seconds, although footage afterwards clearly confirmed that the No. 9 had been fouled.
“I do not know the way VAR have checked out this and stated ‘play on!'”
Rio Ferdinand and Steve McManaman had been shocked that Liverpool weren’t given a first-half penalty ?
? @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/UoEugqrPSA
— Soccer on TNT Sports activities (@footballontnt) October 23, 2024
Unsurprisingly, Nunez protested with Scharer, who had already booked Alexis Mac Allister for diving when he had been legitimately fouled, although that fell on deaf ears.
The consistency of the official left Rio Ferdinand baffled within the TNT Sports activities studio, as he insisted: “That is undoubtedly a penalty.
“I don’t know the way VAR have checked out this and stated ‘no, proper, play on’. I have no idea.
“If you see this in slo-mo there’s contact. VAR would have seen that angle they usually’ve stated no. I can’t consider it!”
Alongside Ferdinand on punditry duties, ex-Liverpool winger Steve McManaman unsurprisingly agreed.
“After all it’s a penalty, isn’t it? After all it’s a penalty,” he stated.
“Darwin Nunez works onerous, he made that penalty himself – or what we anticipated ought to have been a penalty – simply by onerous work and operating, chasing down misplaced causes.”
The sentiment was shared by followers on social media, with it turning into clear that it’s not solely the Premier League that’s experiencing an absence of high quality officers.
The officiating tonight within the Leipzig vs Liverpool recreation has been horrific. Alexis Mac Allister booked for diving when he was clearly fouled. Darwin Nunez introduced down for what regarded a useless cert penalty. Ref & VAR each stated no. Outstanding.
— Ryan Taylor (@RyanTaylorSport) October 23, 2024
The refereeing within the Leipzig vs Liverpool recreation has been very poor.
Cautioning Mac Allister for a dive that wasn’t. And lacking the clear foul on Núñez for a penalty with VAR backing him up one way or the other.
— David Simpson (@WhistleBlowerDK) October 23, 2024
That Nunez incident is among the most blatant penalties you’ll ever see and the ref was not even despatched to the VAR monitor to evaluate it. Genuinely how onerous is it to make use of that know-how accurately, it’s been 5 years now
— Drew (@LFC_Drew) October 23, 2024
How did the ref and VAR each come to a conclusion that it wasn’t a penalty for a foul on Nunez in that half is absurd. Simply one of many incidents from that atrocious refereeing efficiency from the primary half. That degree of officiating would put PL referees to disgrace.
— FantasticFirmino9????? (@MPBFirmino9) October 23, 2024
I don’t get VAR at occasions, in case you can’t overturn stuff like that journey on Nunez then what’s the purpose ?
— Alex Howroyd (@alex_howroyd) October 23, 2024
How Nunez didn’t get a penalty is past me… VAR at its best once more?????
— Dan Carey (@DJCarey8) October 23, 2024
It doesn’t matter what nation you’re enjoying in all of them can’t get VAR proper. Nunez penalty shout, stone wall pen. Joke! #YNWA
— John Devereux (@DevereuxJohn13) October 23, 2024
The referee and VAR ignoring that blatant journey on Darwin Nunez is likely to be worse than any name I’ve seen from a premier league referee this season. https://t.co/wSReAeJRbn
— Footalyse (@footalyse) October 23, 2024
Thankfully, with Liverpool holding robust within the second half and Caoimhin Kelleher making various saves, being denied a penalty was not pricey.
If the sport had led to a draw it might have been a considerably greater speaking level, however with the Reds coming away with a win, it merely stands as one other instance of weird refereeing.
Given the give attention to officers after nearly each recreation within the Premier League, Scharer’s efficiency was a well timed reminder that issues are not any higher in Europe.
RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
