Bayern Munich denied VAR handball appeals in PSG Champions League draw
Bayern Munich had two penalty and handball appeals dismissed by officials during a contentious 1-1 Champions League draw with Paris Saint-Germain.
The Bundesliga giants were left frustrated by Portuguese referee João Pinheiro following two separate first-half incidents.
Both controversial moments centred around potential infractions by the French champions that ultimately went unpunished.
Mendes escapes second booking
The first major flashpoint occurred in the 29th minute when Nuno Mendes appeared to handle the ball to deny a promising attack.
Having already been booked earlier in the match, the Portuguese full-back risked receiving a second yellow card and a subsequent dismissal.
Pinheiro reversed his initial decision to penalise the defender after a consultation with his assistant referee.
The match officials instead awarded a free-kick to the visitors, ruling that Austrian midfielder Konrad Laimer had handled the ball in the immediate build-up.
Penalty appeals waved away
Because the initial incident did not involve a direct red card or penalty, the Video Assistant Referee could not intervene under current protocols.
Just two minutes later, the Bavarian hosts demanded a spot-kick when the ball struck the arm of João Neves inside the penalty box.
A clearance from teammate Vitinha deflected into the midfielder at close range, prompting immediate protests from the home side.
The referee immediately waved play on, a decision correctly supported by the official laws of the game.
Refereeing process questioned
Regulations stipulate that an offence is not committed if the ball strikes a player’s arm directly from the clearance of a teammate.
Former elite referee Andy Davies reviewed the incidents and suggested the officiating team lacked clear communication during the opening controversy.
A confusing incident. You would expect a refereeing team at this level and on this stage to deliver their outcome with a far better process than we witnessed in the moment.