La Liga giants Barcelona have been backed in claims that they should have been awarded a penalty in the club’s meeting with Paris Saint-Germain earlier this week.
The subject of Barca’s spot-kick denial, of course, took its place front and centre in the headlines in Catalunya on Tuesday night.
As much came after İlkay Gündoğan went to ground under a challenge from Vitinha in the PSG penalty area, during the Champions League quarter-final 2nd-leg meeting between the clubs.
At an absolutely pivotal point in the matchup, Gündoğan’s bemusement was clear, upon referee Istvan Kovacs waving play on, adamant that sufficient contact was not made to force the German to ground.
Widespread debate has since followed, with fans, pundits and the media alike arguing both sides of the case regarding whether or not a spot-kick should have been afforded to Barcelona.
One individual in no two minds that the Blaugrana were indeed robbed of a chance to find the net from 12 yards at Montjuïc on Tuesday, though, comes in the form of Manuel Gräfe.
A former German international referee, Gräfe made as much clear in a post on his official ‘X’ account, in which he stated that:
“Vitinha hits Gündogan in such a way that he has to fall. He (Gündogan) takes advantage of it more in the final phase of his fall and that could have led the referee to think that it (the foul) was not intentional. But it does not matter if it is intentional or not. Clear penalty!
Conor Laird | GSFN
