Atlético fell for the second time in the Champions League at the Wanda Metropolitano after 14 games unbeaten since that unfortunate debut against Chelsea. The rojiblanco team managed to turn Liverpool 0-2, but after having done the most difficult, with a double from Griezmann, the french left expelled and left the rojiblanco team with one less for 39 minutes against a team in splendor that was seen against the ropes.
But that direct red was not the only controversial play of the game. An involuntary action, since Griezmann is looking at the ball at all times and tries to control it, but with a hit with the studs in Firmino’s face in a dangerous way. The German Daniel Siebert understood the contact as red and it is an action at the referee’s discretion, although Atlético may feel aggrieved comparing the situation with a practically traced in Porto-Milan, where it was Ibrahimovic the one who raised the sole of his foot and hit Mbemba with the studs more violently in the face and only received the yellow one.
However, the action that most bothered the rojiblanco took place in the last moments of the game. Liverpool had already made it 2-3 through a penalty thrown by Salah, after a disproportionate charge by Hermoso to Diogo Jota in a ball without any danger, an action where the own Simeone wanted to make it clear that “it’s a penalty”. But, in the 81st minute, after a set piece shot, Daniel Siebert signaled a contact from Jota on Giménez as a penalty. Although the shock seemed mild, the referee understood it as a foul.
However, when Suárez was preparing to launch what could be 3-3, the VAR continued with its review, apparently on whether Giménez was offside. Finally, he called Siebert to review the play on the monitor, and after observing the action for several seconds and various images, he canceled his signaling. It must be taken into account that, since the implementation of the VAR, Its protocol indicates as the first letter that it is a tool that is not there to arbitrate, the VAR is there to avoid a clear and manifest error, for that reason it never usually acts when the indicated contact exists.
As Iturralde, an expert from AS and Cadena Ser, at Carrusel Deportivo indicated: “The penalty had already been called. For me it is not a penalty, but there is contact. I thought they were checking the offside. But it is not a clear and obvious error. The VAR is not supposed to go into these plays. If you have needed to see it several times, it is not clear. The game is overtaking him. “Something that even threw Klopp himself out of line. Liverpool’s German coach explained it like this:” I understand that the Atlético fans will be angry, but the penalty was clear and the other, as I saw it, was not penalty. But still, I was surprised that the referee canceled it. The red one is bad luck, but it is red, it is a foot in the face “.
A trend that the Atlético players also embraced after the game. Felipe explained the discomfort in the dressing room. “It’s clear to me, I don’t know what the rule is. But he went to the VAR, looked, looked again and was in doubt. The other way around it was very fast. We have to fight inside, but it’s a bit unfair. He looked, he looked, he looked, he came back, he looked again … There is a bit of, I don’t know if weight (…) Griezmann tries to control, he’s looking at the ball. It is not so bad, yellow was good ”. A penalty that could have meant a very important draw for Atlético, since they would still have Liverpool one game away and would continue to beat a Porto that with their victory against Milan equaled the rojiblancos with four points in second place. After the mattress criticism in the Spanish arbitration for the red card and two-game sanction for João Félix, now the controversy has centered on the Champions League, where all the controversial decisions fell on the side of Liverpool and from Atlético it was understood that the VAR protocol was lacking.