Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has responded to Bayern Munich’s complaints about Matthijs de Ligt’s late equaliser chalked off for a contentious offside. Los Blancos scored twice late on to reach a record extending 18th UEFA Champions League final.
In a rousing semifinal second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday (May 8), both sides had scoring opportunities before Alphonso Davies’ brilliant curler gave Bayern the lead midway through the second half.
Moments later, Nacho’s equaliser was cancelled out due to foul on Joshua Kimmich in the build-up, which Ancelotti says was a ‘dive’ from the player. Nevertheless, Los Blancos perservered, capitalising on a rare error from the excellent Manuel Neuer to score an 88th-minute equaliser through substitute Joselu.
There was more drama in store, though. In the first minute of stoppage time, Antonio Rudiger squared to an unmarked Joselu at the far post for Los Blancos’ winner, but De Ligt thought he bagged the equaliser.
However, the referee called early for offside, and play stopped, with Ancelotti admitting that the Bayern defender might not have been offside. The Italian, though, added that his team stopped playing, as the referee had called offside before the ball had gone in
“Bayern complaining about the offside? OK, then we complain about the cancelled goal of Nacho. Kimmich dived,” he said (as per Bayern & Germany via Madrid Xtra).
About De Ligt‘s offside call, the Real Madrid boss added:
“The offside episode is simple to explain. Maybe it wasn’t offside, but the referee whistled (before the goal), and we stopped playing. That’s it.”
Real Madrid eventually hung on to book a final date with Borussia Dortmund on June 1 at the Wembley as Bayern Munich wonder what might have been.
“There was a disastrous decision from the linesman and the referee” – Bayern Munich boss on offside call against Real Madrid
Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel understandably had a different take on De Ligt’s goal wrongly ruled out for suspected offside against Real Madrid.
The outgoing Bayern tactician bemoaned the ‘disastrous’ decision from the on-field officials. Had play continued, VAR would have allowed the goal to stand, but that wasn’t the case, as the linesman prematurely called offside, which incensed Tuchel.
“There was a disastrous decision from the linesman and the referee,” he told TNT Sports (via BBC). “It feels like a betrayal in the end. The linesman says sorry. but that does not help. To raise the flag in a moment like this … The referee sees we get the second ball, and we get the shot. It’s hard to swallow, but that’s the way it is.”
Despite referee Szymon Marciniak and the linesman apologising to Bayern for the wrong call, an aggrieved Tuchel added:
“Everyone has to go to their limit, everyone has to suffer, everyone has to play without making mistakes. So the referee has to be at that level too.
“It just doesn’t help to make excuses after the fact. You are on the field for this reason, because you are the best there is. And we have the right to expect that until the end.”
Bayern Munich are set to endure a first trophyless season since 2011-12, while Real Madrid will gun for a record-extending 15th UEFA Champions League title.
