Barcelona’s Champions League quarter-final second-leg match against Atletico Madrid has been overshadowed by controversy following a disputed refereeing decision involving VAR, Idman.Biz reports.
The incident occurred during a key attacking moment for Barcelona, when the ball appeared to strike the raised hand of Atletico defender Clement Lenglet before falling to Ferran Torres, who finished clinically. The goal, however, was ultimately ruled out for offside.
What triggered widespread debate was the VAR review process, which focused solely on the offside decision and did not assess the potential handball in the build-up. The apparent omission has drawn criticism, with many questioning why the earlier infringement was not examined.
The controversy adds to ongoing scrutiny over officiating in this tie. The first leg had already seen contentious decisions, prompting UEFA to suspend referee Istvan Kovacs for the remainder of the season. The latest episode is likely to intensify discussions around consistency and transparency in VAR usage at the highest level of European football.
Barcelona won the second leg 2-1 against Atletico Madrid, but lost 2-3 on aggregate and were eliminated from the Champions League.
