Christina Unkel, a former FIFA referee and rules analyst, has explained why Ibrahima Konate was allowed to stay on the pitch during Liverpool’s 1-0 Champions League victory over Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night was a mistake on the part of the referee and VAR. With their first shot on goal, from Harvey Elliott in the 87th minute, the Reds secured an incredible victory in the French capital despite facing 27 shots, 10 of which were on target.
Arne Slot’s team’s incredible luck has been the subject of much discussion since the final whistle, leaving many in the football community in shock. Early on in the game, Konate seemed to push Bradley Barcola in the back as the PSG forward charged at goal, which was a crucial moment. The TNT commentators called it a red card offence right away, and many fans agreed with them online. View the incident below:
VAR says no ❌
Liverpool's hearts are in their mouth for a moment as VAR checks Konaté's challenge on Barcola, but the referee waves play on 👀
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/VRWWQuymub
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 5, 2025
The loss was PSG’s first since they were defeated by Bayern Munich in November. However, they appeared ready to take control right away, and if Konate had been dismissed early, the result would have been drastically different before the two teams met again at Anfield for the second leg the following week.
Rules Expert Casts Konate Red Card Verdict
Christina Unkel believes the defender should have been brandished a red card
Christina Unkel, a CBS Sports Rules Analyst, discussed if the referees in the game made the correct decision in not sending Liverpool down to ten men after the game. “I’m going to disagree with the referee and VAR on this play,” Unkel stated during the post-match broadcast on CBS Sports.
“I think this should have been reviewed as a red card because it was a clear opportunity to score a goal.”
She goes on (see the video below at around 1:30): “There are two questions being asked. Is the contact sufficient, first? You need to think about whether the attacker is correctly running into the action, cutting him off, and earning a positional advantage, or if it’s more of a shoulder-to-shoulder challenge.
This isn’t merely a shoulder-to-shoulder battle; the defender moves through the attacker. In that case, it doesn’t take much to knock an attacker off balance. Whether the attacker had a chance to control the ball is the second thing that people will ask.
“Yes, in this instance. He is a top-tier professional football player, and it satisfies every requirement. Therefore, if this hadn’t been called on the pitch, I would have preferred to see VAR intervene and call it a penalty.
Along with Andrew Robertson, Alexis Mac Allister, and Harvey Elliott, Konate was one of four Liverpool players walking a tightrope in terms of disciplinary action throughout the week. Having hit the booking mark earlier in the competition, a yellow card for any of them would have eliminated them from the second leg.
To the astonishment of spectators at the stadium and those at home, all four were able to avoid the referee’s book. Slot will therefore be able to use his entire roster when Liverpool hosts the Parisian powerhouses at Anfield on Tuesday.
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