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Joselu's goal for Real Madrid was allowed to stand, while the referee did not check De Ligt's late equaliser for Bayern Munich before ruling it out, sparking controversy
Real Madrid's breathtaking comeback against Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-final left fans and pundits alike debating the refereeing decisions that defined the game, with Los Blancos profiting from Joselu Mato’s late goal, while Bayern Munich were controversially denied a late equalser.
Los Blancos were headed for an unlikely Champions League semifinal exit against Bayern Munich after Alphonso Davies opened the scoring on the night, but were rescued by Joselu’s late brace, including a goal in additional time that was initially ruled out before VAR intervention.
The match ended on a dramatic note with Bayern Munich being denied a last-gasp equaliser after Matthijs De Ligt’s goal in additional time was not allowed to stand, with the linesman who made the call reportedly apologising to the Dutch defender at the end of the game.
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Many have debated why Real Madrid’s goal was allowed to stand after referee Marciniak consulted with VAR, while the Polish official did not bother to check the screens to see if Bayern Munich’s goal was also legitimate.
Why was Joselu not offside for Madrid’s winning goal?
When Joselu found himself in acres of space to slot home Antonio Rüdiger's pass, the linesman raised his flag, initially disallowing the goal for offside. However, VAR intervened, revealing that although Joselu was behind the Bayern Munich last-line, he was not ahead of the ball or his teammate when the pass was made, while Rudiger was also onside when he received the ball.
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According to the rules, players can only be judged offside from a pass going forward, not backward, clearing Joselu of any wrongdoing, and since Rudiger was also onside, the goal was legitimate.
Why was De Ligt’s goal was not allowed to stand?
As seen from Joselu’s goal, the referee had the opportunity to consult with VAR if he was unsure of a decision so, it surprised many that he did not do so to confirm the offside call in the build-up to De Ligt scoring for Bayern Munich.
However, it should be noted that unlike with the Joselu goal, referee Marciniak had blown to stop the match before De Ligt’s goal, meaning that play had already stopped before the Dutch defender scored for Bayern Munich and so there was no justification to check with the VAR.
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Regular offside calls do not fall under the “clear and obvious error” rationale for VAR to intervene in the game, and as the whistle had gone for the offside before, not after the ball fell to De Ligt, it would be against the rules to draw the game back to check the call.
Since the referee had already blown the whistle before the ball fell to De Ligt, the Real Madrid players can argue that they had stopped playing, allowing De Ligt to score. Marciniak’s decision to blow the whistle immediately after seeing the flag has come in for criticism, with many including De Ligt suggesting that the referee should have allowed play to continue and checked VAR after the fact.
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