Chelsea’s controversial retaken penalty against Borussia Dortmund in their crucial Champions League tie was NOT purely driven by the “encroachment itself.”
Goals from Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz allowed Graham Potter’s men to overturn a 1-0 aggregate deficit and progress to the Champions League quarter-finals.
However, Chelsea’s 2-0 win on Tuesday night at Stamford Bridge was shrouded in controversy after VAR’s intervention in the second half.
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Ben Chilwell’s cross hit the arm of Dortmund midfielder Marius Wolf and VAR called for referee Danny Makkelie to take a second look before he pointed to the spot.
Dortmund shot-stopper Alexander Meyer was sent the wrong way in the initial penalty by Havertz, who saw his effort ricochet off the right-hand side of the post.
However, Chelsea were awarded a second penalty after it was believed that around three Dortmund players had encroached during Havertz’s spot-kick.
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Havertz took the penalty again and swiftly dispatched the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of the net, with Meyer diving in the opposite direction.
ESPN’s Dale Johnson has now explained in a detailed Twitter thread why Chelsea’s penalty was retaken after spotlighting a Dortmund player in the D-shaped area.
“The controversy over the retaken penalty is not about the encroachment itself. It’s about material impact,” he tweeted.
“That is undeniable from the Dortmund player who played the ball.
“And regardless of who plays the ball, if players from both teams encroach on a miss, it’s a retake. (cont)”
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In a follow-up tweet, Johnson added: “A player who encroaches on a penalty and plays the ball hasn’t committed an automatic offence. They must impact an opponent.
“So, was there a Chelsea player who could have played the ball if the encroaching Dortmund player hadn’t kicked it?”
Chelsea will learn who they face next in the Champions League quarter-finals after the draw, which is expected to be held at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, on 17th March.
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Topics: Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Champions League, Football
Adnan Riaz