Barcelona played well in the first half, creating plenty of opportunities to put their noses in front but could not apply the finishing touch. Bayern came charging out of the gates in the second 45 and scored two goals in a four-minute window (51st and 54th-minute goals) to take the game away from Barcelona.
Xavi’s men were undeniably wasteful on Tuesday but were also unlucky not to get a penalty when Alphonso Davies tackled Ousmane Dembele in the box in the first half. The referee, as well as VAR, did not find Davies’ tackle to be unfair, but former referee Eduardo Iturralde thought it was a clear penalty. On Cadena SER, he told Hernandez (via Tribuna):
Hernandez’s reply suggested that he reluctantly agreed with Iturralde’s assessment. He said:
Iturralde claimed that the defender would see it more clearly if the situation were reversed. The former referee added:
Hernadez agreed, saying:
Following Tuesday night’s result, the Bavarians find themselves at the top of the Group C standings (6 points). Barcelona have dropped down to second place, leading third-placed Inter (both 3 points) on goal difference.
Barcelona coach Xavi refuses to comment on Ousmane Dembele foul
While most coaches tend to get on the referees’ backs after a controversial decision, Xavi took a different stance on Tuesday. He admitted that he did not see Davies’ challenge on Dembele and refused to comment on the on-field official’s performance.
When asked to comment on the penalty incident, the two-time treble-winning midfielder said (via Barca Universal):
The Blaugrana return to action with a clash against Elche in La Liga on Saturday (September 17).
0 votes
