FC Barcelona on the Spotify Camp Nou on Tuesday evening within the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.
A primary-half crimson card to Pau Cubarsi left the Catalans at an obstacle, they usually weren’t helped by some controversial officiating by referee Istvan Kovacs.
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One of the contentious moments of the sport got here when Atletico Madrid’s Marc Pubill dealt with the ball inside his personal field to restart play after goalkeeper Juan Musso had already began the play by passing it to him.
To everybody’s shock, the referee didn’t name for a handball, and the VAR didn’t intervene both.
It induced plenty of anger and frustration for Barcelona, who’re . In any case, the proper name may have resulted in each a penalty for Barça and a second yellow card for Pubill.
Marcus Rashford lashes out
And, chatting with the media after the sport, on-loan Barcelona ahead Marcus Rashford lashed out on the questionable refereeing, expressing his anger at Kovacs for not awarding what he felt was a ‘clear penalty’.
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The Englishman referred to an identical incident in a match between Membership Brugge and Aston Villa, when defender Tyrone Mings dealt with the ball after a move from Emiliano Martinez.
“It’s clear to me: it’s a penalty. It’s occurred earlier than and it’s at all times been given. I don’t perceive the choice,” Rashford advised CBS Sports activities Golazo (h/t ).
Rashford dismissed the concept the state of affairs was uncommon, saying: “Individuals discuss widespread sense, however widespread sense itself tells you it’s a penalty. Our response displays that, however so does that of their very own gamers. That counts too.
“I’ve been in comparable conditions in matches the place the choice was a penalty. In the end, it’s exhausting to not complain when the choice goes in opposition to you.”
Istvan Kovacs on the centre of controversy. (Photograph by Eric Alonso/Getty Photos)
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The Barcelona ahead believes the principles assist his argument, as he remarked: “If the participant was to take a purpose kick, he ought to have positioned the ball along with his hand, because the goalkeeper did all through the match.
“In that occasion, he performed it along with his foot, after which the opposite participant touched it along with his hand. For me, it’s a penalty. The principles are on our aspect.”
Rashford defends Pau Cubarsi
Throughout the identical interview, Rashford additionally defended his teammate Pau Cubarsi, whose early sending-off modified the complexion of the match.
He doesn’t consider the teenage centre-back’s error was “as a consequence of a scarcity of maturity”, however quite a consequence of Barcelona’s fashion of play.
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“If you happen to play with that depth, it could actually occur. And if folks need ‘Cuba’ to not go for that ball, then maybe the opposition will find yourself scoring. He tried to win it again, couldn’t accomplish that, and the referee determined to ship him off,” he mentioned.
“However, as I mentioned, after that, the group responded fairly properly. The one factor we lacked was placing the ball within the web. So within the subsequent match we’ll need to concentrate on that.”
Regardless of the 0–2 deficit on the Spotify Camp Nou, Rashford believes a comeback remains to be doable, saying:
“We have to go there with confidence and present what we’re able to, as a result of I do know we’re. Above all, it’s about clearing our minds, approaching the match calmly and performing to the usual we all know we’re able to.
“That mentioned, there’s one space the place we clearly want to enhance: we should be extra scientific in entrance of purpose. We’ll work on that and attempt to do higher within the subsequent match.”