szczesny penalti v benfica

SZCZESNY CONCEDED THREE GOALS IN THE FIRST HALF

Another robbery for Barça? The controversial penalty of Szczesny against Benfica

Published:21/01/2025 - 22:32h

Updated:21/01/2025 - 22:33h

Referee Danny Makkelie awarded a controversial penalty against Wojciech Szczesny for a foul on Kerem Aktürkoglu in the Benfica-Barça match. The Pole did not make contact with the Turkish winger, but the Dutch referee called the foul.

Calendar of FC Barcelona

Wojciech Szczesny had a first half to forget against Benfica where, in addition to a poor clearance that cost FC Barcelona a goal, he also committed a penalty that extended the home team's lead in Lisbon. In the 28th minute, the Pole rushed out to challenge the Turk Kerem Aktürkoglu, who ended up falling as he was forced to jump to avoid the goalkeeper's tackle.

Referee Danny Makkelie did not hesitate to call a foul that initially seemed clear, as the '25' never made contact with the ball. However, the images from the television broadcast did not show clear contact with Aktürkoglu, as the Turk jumped before being hit by Szczesny. Despite this, the Dutch referee maintained his decision, and this time there was no VAR call to overturn it. The '14' from Benfica converted the penalty, completing his 'hat-trick' in just half an hour of play.

Barça also suffers from refereeing in Europe

Previously, in the 11th minute, Makkelie overlooked a clear stomp by Tomás Araújo on Alejandro Balde inside the area, despite being right in front of the play, less than 1 meter away. The referee had called a corner in favor of Barça, but VAR alerted that the Portuguese defender never touched the ball, as he arrived late and ended up stepping on Álex's right foot. After reviewing the monitor, the Dutch referee awarded the penalty that Robert Lewandowski converted to make it 1-1.

In contrast, in the penalty against Szczesny, there was no luck to avoid another robbery for a Barça that is also beginning to suffer from refereeing errors in the Champions League. Makkelie only booked Gavi in the first half for a clear pull on Schjelderup. Otamendi, Florentino, and Araújo himself also made strong challenges before the break, but the Dutch referee was much more lenient with a home team that executed their plan perfectly to exploit the spaces in the Barça defense.