Featured Image Credit: LaLiga TV
Topics: Barcelona, Real Sociedad, Fan Reactions, Robert Lewandowski
Ryan Smart
Topics: Barcelona, Real Sociedad, Fan Reactions, Robert Lewandowski
Barcelona fans were left baffled as they had a goal ruled out for offside in their 1-0 defeat to Real Sociedad - despite photos appearing to show otherwise.
Robert Lewandowski thought he had put Barca ahead on 13 minutes, only to see the goal chalked off after a VAR review.
Sheraldo Becker then scored the only goal of the game for the hosts 20 minutes later to compound Barca's misery.
The decision to rule out Lewandowski's goal, however, generated mass controversy among fans, who believe that the strike should have stood.
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VAR deemed that the end of the Pole's right boot was fractionally offside and therefore could not allow the ball to stand.
But there was fury among Barca fans on social media over what appeared to the foot of Sociedad defender Nayef Aguerd being ahead of his rival instead.
Lewandowski's boot looked as if it was marginally behind Aguerd's, but the particular angle used for the video replay meant that his foot was not visible in the shot - as you can see below.
La Liga does use semi-automated offside technology, with other fans pointing towards the use of that technology to claim that the Pole was offside.
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Manager Hansi Flick was left furious after the game, but stated that Barca would have to accept the VAR decision.
"There was no offside," he said. "It was not his [Lewandowski's] foot. But we have to accept it.
"Of course, if it were 1-0 to us [if the goal stood], it will have been a different match. But it was different, and it was not our day.
"The responsibility for this defeat is from us. We are responsible. We could play much better, we showed it in the first 15 to 20 minutes but after that, the ball possession was not too good.
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"In the end, it's a defeat but the match before after the last break was fantastic, and I really appreciate the team and how they're doing."
Sport journalist Toni Juanmarti said after the game that he watched the replay of the incident '100 times' and declared that Lewandowski's boot was not ahead of Aguerd's. He has called on La Liga to apologise.
He said: "Even if the digital image shows it, it is clear in the real replay. They [La Liga] will have to come out and apologise and give explanations."