Barcelona’s 3-1 win over Napoli in the Champions League on Wednesday has been met with controversy, with many accusing the Spanish giants of benefiting from favorable refereeing decisions.
The most contentious moment came in the first half when Andreas Christensen escaped a red card for a dangerous tackle on Stanislav Lobotka. The Dutch referee, Danny Makkelie, only showed Christensen a yellow card, despite the fact that the Napoli midfielder was left in pain and could barely walk.
The decision not to send Christensen off was compounded by Makkelie’s failure to award Napoli a penalty in the second half for a handball by Gerard Pique. The incident was not reviewed by VAR, which further angered Napoli fans and players.
Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti was furious after the game, accusing Barcelona of “stealing” the win. “We were robbed,” he said. “It’s a shame that such a big club like Barcelona needs to resort to these kind of tactics.”
The controversy surrounding Barcelona’s win has overshadowed what was a good performance by the Spanish side. Xavi’s team were dominant for large periods of the game and created a number of chances. They were also clinical in front of goal, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scoring a hat-trick.
However, the refereeing decisions will be the main talking point from this game. It is clear that Barcelona benefited from some questionable calls, and it is no surprise that Napoli feel aggrieved.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings