The rule that caused Bayern Munich to miss out on a penalty against PSG
Bayern Munich felt really frustrated in the first half because they thought they deserved a clear penalty. Vitinha tried to clear the ball for PSG, but it hit the arm of his teammate Joao Neves. Everyone could see the ball touched Neves’ arm, but the referee didn’t give a penalty. This left Bayern, their fans, and football lovers everywhere wondering why they missed a chance to even the score after Ousmane Dembele put PSG ahead early in the third minute.
One strong voice against the decision was Jamie Carragher on CBS during the game. He was sure Bayern should have gotten a penalty. The former Liverpool player said, “I’m watching this, and I’m really angry. Joao Neves has his arm out like he’s pointing the way—it’s a clear handball, a sure penalty for Bayern—but the referee just ignored it! How is that not called? We saw the same kind of bad calls yesterday with Arsenal and Atletico, costing big teams at really bad times.
“These moments can change everything for a club. One wrong call can end your whole season and Champions League hopes. This is the semi-final of the Champions League, the biggest stage in club football, not a Sunday league game. It’s unbelievable.”
However, it looks like the referee made the right call by not giving the penalty. The officials should be praised for understanding the rules and not being influenced by the atmosphere or pressure.
The rule, set by IFAB, says that if a ball from a teammate’s kick or header hits a player’s hand or arm, it isn’t a handball—unless the ball goes straight into the opponent’s goal or the player scores right after, which isn’t the case here.
In the end, PSG moved on to the Champions League final with a 6-5 aggregate win over Bayern after Harry Kane scored a last-minute equalizer, making the finish tense. The French team will face Arsenal in Budapest after a 1-1 draw in Munich.
Luis Enrique has a chance to win his third Champions League as a coach, having won with PSG last year and Barcelona in 2015. Meanwhile, Arsenal will be aiming for their first-ever title in this competition.