Manchester City 2-1 Borussia Dortmund: Talking points from Champions League defeat
By Adam Bakr
Jude Bellingham masterclass masked by refereeing blunder
With Borussia Dortmund playing as the underdog and searching for away goals, it was going to be crucial to capitalize on any errors from Manchester City. This need was increased when Dortmund went down 1-0 and had to get an equaliser without opening themselves up at the back. They were in great position to do so if not for a premature and incorrect whistle.
Ederson opted to control Raphaël Guerreiro’s long ball instead of clearing it first time, and Jude Bellingham took it off the keeper’s foot. He looked set to even the score with an open goal in front of him. That was until the referee Ovidiu Hategan blew the whistle for a foul against Bellingham. Not only was this the wrong call, with Bellingham getting the ball and actually getting kicked himself, but it also made sure that VAR could not come into play.
Even if the ref was confident in the foul, there was only one possible result on the play and it was that Bellingham was going to tap it into the open goal within a few seconds. If the ref delayed the call until then, VAR could have been used to determine if there was indeed a foul.
It was a clear and obvious error and would most likely have been overturned. With the amount of obvious offside calls that are delayed in case there is a goal to review, it is very hard to understand why the ref felt the need to call the foul in that moment.
On top of the implications it could have in this tie, it is a big shame for Bellingham himself. He was the second youngest player to ever start in a Champions League quarter-final, and could have marked the occasion with a goal on his return to England. It would have been his first ever Champions League goal.
Next. Borussia Dortmund player ratings from narrow defeat to Manchester City. dark
He was Borussia Dortmund’s best player on the night. He was robbed of a goal, but it was good to see him at the heart of the move for Reus’s goal. Playing in the midfield against some of Manchester City’s stars, Bellingham still found a way to perform and shine.