Barcelona were able to maintain their winning momentum on Thursday as they secured a 2-1 victory over Newcastle United, in what was their first game of the new Champions League season.
Marcus Rashford was the star of the show, scoring two wonderful goals and winning the Man of the Match title. However, things got a little nervy at the end, when Anthony Gordon scored a late goal.
Barcelona, though, could have had a much simpler end to the game if they had not been robbed of a potential penalty in the second half, reports Mundo Deportivo.
How Barcelona were denied a penalty
Ferran Torres was at the heart of this controversy. Making his first appearance off the bench this season, the Spaniard immediately injected pace and directness into Barcelona’s attack.
The forward consistently looked to run in behind Newcastle’s defence, and nearly found the decisive breakthrough when he latched on to a clever pass.
The former Man City star controlled the ball beautifully and looked to finish past Nick Pope. Before he could shoot, however, Malick Thiaw and Fabian Schar closed in, with Thiaw’s challenge appearing to bring the Barça man down inside the area.
Ferran was quick to appeal, but referee Glenn Nyberg waved play on.
What was particularly concerning, however, was that VAR referee Jerome Brisard did not intervene either, and television broadcasts failed to provide a single replay of the incident.
Normally, contentious penalty shouts are reviewed from multiple angles, giving fans clarity. This time, there was complete silence from officials and broadcasters.
Had the penalty been awarded, Barcelona would have had the chance to go 3-0 up, effectively sealing the game before Gordon’s late strike reignited Newcastle’s hopes
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Related Topics:barcelonabarcelona newsfc barcelonaFerran Torresnewcastle uniteduefa champions leagueVAR
