Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez seemed very unfortunate to see his penalty ruled out in the shootout against Real Madrid, but it appears the correct decision was made.
There was great drama in the last 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday night as a 1-0 win for Atletico in the second leg took their tie with Real to extra-time and ultimately penalties after the first leg had finished 2-1 to Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham had scored from the spot for Real, while Alexander Sorloth had slotted home Atletico’s first before Alvarez stepped up to try and level things.
It appeared that the former Manchester City forward had done just that as he found the roof of the net before jogging back to the halfway line.
However, it was an unusual penalty as he slipped while taking it and the Real players were arguing with the referee as Alavarez returned to his teammates, claiming that the Argentinian had kicked the ball with both feet.
By this point the penalty had been given as a goal, but just before Fede Valverde took Real’s third, Polish referee Szymon Marciniak announced that Alvarez’s had been ruled out after consultation with VAR.
Valverde scored and Real were suddenly 3-1 ahead rather than 2-2 from the spot. Antonio Rudiger eventually scored the final penalty to send Real through 4-2 in the shootout.
Whether Alvarez had actually touched the ball with both feet remained a talking point after the game, with initial replays not entirely clear on the matter.
However, a still image from TV coverage does seem conclusive that his standing foot slid into the ball as he slipped, causing the unusual double-kick.
Atletico boss Diego Simeone was not entirely convinced and asked a press conference if any reporters were sure that Alvarez did kick the ball twice.
No one dared to suggest that he did, but it was Simeone asking them.
‘The referee said when Julian got to the penalty spot he touched the ball with his standing foot, but the ball did not move,’ the manager said.
‘I’ve never seen a penalty where they’ve called the VAR, but well, they would have seen that he touched it. I want to believe they saw he touched it.
‘Did you see him touching the ball twice? Please whoever was present in the stadium and saw him touching the ball twice, the ball moving, please come forward and raise your hand. I don’t see anybody with their hand raised so that’s all I have to say… next question.’
Ancelotti was sure the right decision was made, saying: ‘They detected it. When we realised there was this doubt they had already detected it on VAR.
‘I saw it, I think he touches it with his left foot, a second touch.’
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois did think the ball found the back of the net in an odd fashion, going in at an unusual trajectory.
‘I felt that there was something weird going on, so we said it straight to the referee and then it was confirmed that there was a double touch and it didn’t count, so that obviously gives us the edge,’ he said.
‘[Alvarez] slipped and he touched the ball twice and that is a missed penalty. You cannot touch the ball twice. That’s bad luck but it’s the rules.’
The rule in question is Article 14.1 of the IFAB (International Football Association Board) laws of the game, which states: ‘The kicker must not play the ball again until it has touched another player.’
England midfielder Conor Gallagher had given Atletico the lead after just 27 seconds to make the tie 2-2.
But it is Real Madrid who progress to face Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the Champions League after the shootout drama.
