Mark Clattenburg explains why he expected Alexis Mac Allister's penalty to be given vs PSG
Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Rousing the Kop or go back to LFC Live.
Liverpool saw their chances of beating PSG dealt a major blow when Alexis Mac Allister won a penalty before it was overturned by VAR.The Reds needed to score two goals in the final 25 minutes of normal time to keep themselves in the Champions League quarter-final clash and looked set to be given an easy chance to pull one back when Mac Allister was brought down in the penalty box.However, despite some contact from the PSG defender, VAR overturned the on-field decision. But Mark Clattenburg says he expected the initial call to be upheld.
Who was Liverpool’s most disappointing player against PSG on Tuesday? We needed so much more… Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images Mark Clattenburg suggests Alexis Mac Allister penalty should have stoodThe former Premier League referee was covering the fixture live for Amazon Prime when he was brought in to speak about the call.When doing so, Clattenburg mentioned clear and obvious errors and how he expected the call to stand because it had been given on the field.He said: “We talk about clear and obvious, every time we talk about the VAR interventions, but when you see the contact on Mac Allister’s foot.
People will say it’s soft, but it’s not wrong.“Once the referee gives it, I expect the penalty to be upheld; if he hadn’t give it, I would expect the VAR not to interfere. But once the on-field decision was [a] penalty kick, I would expect the penalty to be given.”Not long after the penalty was overturned, PSG went down the other end and scored, making it 1-0 on the night and 3-0 over the two legs.Liverpool’s season, barring getting fifth in the Premier League, is now largely over and will end with no silverware.Fans asked questions of Slot for his decision-making on the night, but the main sticking point will be whether the penalty should have stood or not.UEFA, as they do after every set of fixtures, are expected to release an explanation of their VAR decisions from Tuesday’s games in a statement on Wednesday.Join Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox