Although it did nothing to affect the outcome, pundits and followers alike have 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 purpose was sufficient to seal all three factors at Leipzig.
But it surely may have been a wholly extra comfy night time 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 understand how VAR have checked out this and stated ‘play on!'”
Rio Ferdinand and Steve McManaman have 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 understand how VAR have checked out this and stated ‘no, proper, play on’. I have no idea.
“Once 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 exhausting, he made that penalty himself – or what we anticipated ought to have been a penalty – simply by exhausting work and operating, chasing down misplaced causes.”
The sentiment was shared by followers on social media, with it turning into clear that it isn’t solely the Premier League that’s experiencing a scarcity of high quality officers.
The officiating tonight within the Leipzig vs Liverpool sport has been horrific. Alexis Mac Allister booked for diving when he was clearly fouled. Darwin Nunez introduced down for what appeared a lifeless cert penalty. Ref & VAR each stated no. Exceptional.
— Ryan Taylor (@RyanTaylorSport) October 23, 2024
The refereeing within the Leipzig vs Liverpool sport 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 without doubt one of the most blatant penalties you’ll ever see and the ref was not even despatched to the VAR monitor to assessment it. Genuinely how exhausting is it to make use of that expertise 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, when 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 most interesting once more?????
— Dan Carey (@DJCarey8) October 23, 2024
It doesn’t matter what nation you might be taking part in 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 could 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 sturdy within the second half and Caoimhin Kelleher making a lot of saves, being denied a penalty was not expensive.
If the sport had led to a draw it could have been a considerably larger speaking level, however with the Reds coming away with a win, it merely stands as one other instance of weird refereeing.
Given the deal with officers after nearly each sport within the Premier League, Scharer’s efficiency was a well timed reminder that issues aren’t any higher in Europe.
RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool
