CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Why was RB Leipzig’s goal ruled out against Real Madrid?
The German side saw an early goal ruled out by the referee, with many people scratching their heads at the seemingly strange decision.
RB Leipzig had a controversial decision go against them as the referee disallowed a seemingly perfect goal as they dominated Real Madrid in a game that ended 0-1 to the fortunate away side thanks to a Brahim goal.
Two minutes in and the controversy sent fans into a fury in Leipzig. A corner kick in favour of the home team flew very close and Lunin who cleared it with his fists. The ball landed on the edge of the area, where Schlager hit it back over the defence which becomes a perfect assist for Sesko, who headed the ball into the open net.
Initially it looked as though Sesko was offside, but the replay showed that Rodrygo kept him in a legal position. So the fans were rightly quizzical when referee Irfan Peljto blew for what was signalled as offside.
Offside Henrichs interfered with play
At the moment Schlager’s volley was sent in, Henrichs, in an offside position, blocked Lunin from behind, meaning that he interfered with play from an ilegal position and, as it ended in a goal, it was disallowed.
This is the position that Iturralde González, the resident AS referee analyst, explained: “It is a physical interference to the goalkeeper, because he pushes him with his arm from behind, blocking him. By touching Lunin, they have considered that he therefore interferes with play. The assistant raises the flag and the VAR ratifies the decision, that’s why it doesn’t have to go on the screen”.
By participating from an offside position, he considers it to be offside. At least that is the reading of the play from the referee: the touch from behind on the goalkeeper is enough to consider that the player has had an influence on the move.
The incident is reminiscent of one that Saúl was involved in during last Derbi Madrileño: Savic’s goal was disallowed due to interference on the goalkeeper by a player who was offside. Saúl did not touch the ball, as Henrichs has not done now, but he was considered to have influenced the play from an illegal position. The Leipzig goal, like that one, was not given on the night.