BORUSSIA DORTMUND were left furious after Jude Bellingham saw a crucial goal ruled out in their 2-1 defeat to Man City.
Injured Dortmund star Jadon Sancho tweeted “This ref needs checking!” after the Germans thought they had cancelled out Kevin de Bruyne’s opener.
Goalkeeper Ederson miscontrolled a through ball – and saw Bellingham nip in to steal from him in midair.
The English prodigy, 17, gleefully walked the ball into an empty net – and looked sure the goal would stand.
But with Ederson throwing himself to the floor after the challenge and clutching his leg, Romanian referee Ovidiu Hategan blew for a free-kick.
And because the whistle went BEFORE the ball crossed the line, the VAR was not allowed to get involved with the decision.
Bellingham was shown a yellow card in the furore after the goal, although it is unclear if he was booked for a high foot or dissent.
Etihad old boy Sancho – missing from the action because of injury – summed up the feelings of many viewers on social media with his disbelieving tweet.
And armchair fans followed suit with responses like: “Unbelievable – never a foul from Jude” and “BVB robbed!!”
Another posted: “Decisions like this is what’s wrong with football.”
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The same supporter also argued: “I just don’t understand why referees are so quick to blow their whistle, knowing they have var to check decisions. looks blatant, and frustrating to watch.”
An even more brutal verdict was this: “One of the worst decisions I’ve seen in a long time, there’s no defending something like that!”
Some fans, though, used the opportunity to urge Sancho to join Manchester United.
One typical such comment was: You want good refereeing decisions, come to Old Trafford son.”
Dortmund were made to pay for the disallowed goal as they fell to a late defeat at the Etihad.
After De Bruyne’s opener, Marco Reus scored a crucial away goal in the 84th minute that would have given them the advantage heading into the second leg.
But the visitors could not hold on, with Phil Foden sweeping in from Ilkay Gundogan’s 90th-minute cutback to win 2-1.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
