Expert comments on referee's controversial decision during Atletico's elimination of Barcelona

An expert from Mundo Deportivo analyzed three controversial decisions made by referee Clement Turpin in the Champions League quarter-final second leg between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.

The Champions League quarter-final second leg between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona at the Metropolitano was intensely tense, featuring three controversial referee decisions. The 2-1 victory was insufficient for Barcelona to advance after losing 2-0 in the first leg. However, according to Mundo Deportivo, the referee made several contentious calls.

The first major controversy occurred in the 40th minute. Marcos Llorente pushed Dani Olmo inside the penalty area after the player had gained position and controlled the ball to shoot. The Barcelona player's fall provoked fierce reactions, but referee Clement Turpin did not award a penalty. From the VAR room, Jerome Brisard also considered the impact insufficient.

“It was a sensitive situation. If he had awarded a penalty, no one could have complained,” said Cesar Barrenechea Montero, a referee analysis expert for the Mundo Deportivo He also emphasized that the referee's viewing angle greatly influenced this decision.

The match heated up further after halftime. In the 56th minute, Ferran Torres scored a goal that initially seemed to be the third goal following a chaotic situation originating from Gavi and Clément Lenglet's defensive effort. The VAR review process was prolonged and full of doubt, even considering a potential handball.

Ultimately, VAR disallowed Ferran's goal due to his offside position at the moment Gavi took the shot. The referee also determined that the Andalusian midfielder did not shoot but instead passed to his teammate. “When the ball moved toward Ferran, he was in an offside position,” Barrenechea clarified.

The third pivotal incident occurred late in the match. In the 77th minute, Alexander Sorloth, after gaining positional advantage, fell following a challenge with Eric Garcia. The Barcelona defender pulled down the Atletico Madrid forward from behind.

Initially, the assistant referee raised the flag for offside, but VAR overturned this decision. Referee Turpin went directly to the screen to review whether it was a clear scoring opportunity and whether Jules Koundé could intervene to reduce the sanction to a yellow card. The final conclusion: a direct red card for Eric in the 79th minute. “The last player preventing a clear scoring opportunity. The decision to review the footage was correct,” Barrenechea confirmed.

Atletico Madrid was also dissatisfied, demanding a red card for Gavi after an elbow strike on Ruggeri. However, the French referee maintained the yellow card decision and explained to the home team players. The Italian defender's significant bleeding did not alter the VAR room's decision.

The match concluded with Atletico resiliently holding firm, while Barcelona, despite their efforts to rally, had to accept stopping their journey in the Champions League.