Barcelona’s hopes of bouncing back after a tough clash against PSG quickly faded in their La Liga encounter with Sevilla. The Blaugrana aimed to regain the top spot before the international break, ...
Barcelona’s hopes of bouncing back after a tough clash against PSG quickly faded in their La Liga encounter with Sevilla.
The Blaugrana aimed to regain the top spot before the international break, but the match at the Sanchez Pizjuan took a harsh turn when they conceded a penalty within the first 15 minutes.
In the 13th minute, referee Alejandro Muniz Ruiz awarded a penalty after a challenge between Ronald Araujo and Isaac Romero.
Both players were fighting for the ball when the incident occurred, and it prompted a VAR review led by Del Cerro Grande.
After examining the footage, the penalty was confirmed, giving Sevilla an early 1-0 lead.
Inside the VAR review
Later, the dialogue between Muniz Ruiz and the VAR team was released, revealing how the decision unfolded.
Del Cerro Grande explained, “In our opinion, the defender stumbles, trips the attacker, putting his leg between the attacker’s legs.”
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Muniz Ruiz asked for more clarity. “Show me more, I want to see Araujo’s action. There is no SPA option, there is no DOGS option. There is contact down there.”
The conversation continued as both referees carefully reviewed the play to confirm whether Araujo touched the ball.
Finally, the on-field referee decided. “Let’s go with a penalty, OK? Penalty without a card. He doesn’t touch the ball. Let me see that he doesn’t touch it, that he doesn’t kick it…”
The VAR confirmed, “He never touches the ball, he never plays the ball.” Muñiz Ruiz concluded, “His leg is in front, perfect. Let’s go with a penalty.”
Early setback disrupts Barcelona’s rhythm
The decision immediately put Barcelona on the back foot, making their task even harder against a motivated Sevilla side.
Despite the controversy surrounding the penalty, the VAR audio shows that the officials were convinced there was enough contact to justify the call.
This early setback not only cost Barça momentum but also raised questions about referee consistency, an issue that continues to be debated across La Liga.
Category: General Sports
