This is a scandal, this is a disgrace, that sums up this action. It's a clear yellow card offense, it's blatant, but if we remember what happened in Pamplona we can understand this and why VAR didn't call him.
In the 15th minute, he did brilliantly to keep the ball in play down the left before clipping a cross onto the edge of the six-yard box, with Albert Rusnak glancing it past Zack Steffen. Three minutes later, Hassani Dotson turned in the rebound of a long-range volley from Cristian Roldon, only for it to be ruled out following a VAR review for a foul by Jesus Ferreira in the build-up.
The lack of pressure on Scott Parker this season, despite a collection of desperate performances and an impending relegation, has been mystifying. Plenty at Turf Moor feel a strong sense of loyalty to Parker, especially the chairman, Alan Pace, but support in the stands is dwindling. The lack of backing in the winter transfer window left the squad short of quality and with limited routes out of their current predicament.
After a day full of long delays, mixed messages and irate managers in early February, ex-Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy told BBC Match of the Day: "For the good of the game, you'd have VAR gone. "The problem is what it is doing to the games, to the spectacle, with the amount of time it takes to get there. "Do you want more right decisions or do you want a more free-flowing football experience that is genuine and spur of the moment?"
Has there ever been a better advert for the video assistant referee (VAR)? Newcastle's 3-1 FA Cup fourth round win at Aston Villa was full of controversy with VAR once again the big talking point - even though it wasn't even in use. For this season and the previous FA Cup campaign, it has not been used until the fifth round, with many fans looking forward to a return to football without interruptions from technology.
"I'm sorry that I gave away the penalty. We were playing well at that point. It didn't feel like a foul to me. There's always some contact in a tackle, but after looking at the footage and consulting VAR, that's how it turned out," said Lynen.
At the centre of the storm was referee Jesus Gil Manzano, whose handling of the match visibly frustrated the Barcelona players. Throughout the contest, the referee's decisions appeared to go against Flick's side at key moments, gradually increasing tension on the pitch. A lot of talking points Marginal offside calls, several fouls that went unpunished, and a heavy challenge by Carlos Soler on Pedri all contributed to a sense of injustice from the visiting side.
