Copyright GIVEMESPORT
Barcelona avoided an embarrassing defeat to Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday night and had a controversial VAR call to thank as they settled on a 3-3 draw in a thrilling night in Belgium. The two sides put together one of the most enthralling games of the season that somehow ended honours even once the final whistle went Jan Breydel Stadium. The Catalans escaped a damaging loss but the jury is out on English referee Anthony Taylor's decision over a ptential last-gasp fourth for Club Brugge. Barca came from behind three times on the night, with Nicolo Tresoldi opening the scoring before Ferran Torres equalised. Carlos Forbs put his side back in front in the second half but a sensational Lamine Yamal strike drew the visitors level once again. Forbs grabbed a brace just two minutes later but a Christos Tzilos own goal ensured it was honors even. Why VAR Denied Club Brugge Winner vs BarcelonaThe hosts thought they had pulled off an astonishing victory right at the death when Romeo Vermant robbed Wojciech Szczesny of possession and buried the ball into the back of the net. But VAR intervened and English referee Anthony Taylor became the villain of the piece when he ruled that Vermant had fouled Szczesny. Club Brugge fans were furious and directed chant at UEFA and Barca including shouts of 'Mafia! Mafia!' on another night VAR reared it's ugly head. It prevented the Belgian outift from one of their most famous victories at the expense of Hansi Flick's Catalan giants. Referee analyst Christina Unkel gave an explanation as to why VAR decided to disallow Vermant's potential winner. She told CBS Sports Golazo: "It technically is the correct decision. From an instinctual feeling he pulls the ball back, there's not that contact from the attacker there and you can tell that by the trajectory of the ball. Why I hesitate slightly on this because without VAR we have a feeling within our gut that's on the keeper, he was playing around and messing with the ball we're not gonna save him from it. But when you have clear video tape that there's no contact (with the ball), then yes, in this day and era, you do have to call that as a foul coming out." Barca lucked out to come away from Bruges with a point although Flick's men did have 23 opportunites at goal during a pulsating affair. The Catalans, who were among the favourites at the start of the tournament, now sit 11th in the table, with seven points from four games and they travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on November 25.
