Morgan Rogers thought he had scored a late winner on for goal to be ruled out
Watkins suggested the goal would have stood had it happened in Premier League
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By TOM COLLOMOSSE
Published: 17:30 EST, 27 November 2024 | Updated: 17:30 EST, 27 November 2024
Ollie Watkins bemoaned the standard of refereeing in the Champions League after Aston Villa were denied a stoppage-time winner against Juventus.
When Michele Di Gregorio fumbled a high ball in the fourth minute of added time, under pressure from Diego Carlos, the loose ball fell to Morgan Rogers who turned into the empty net. But the home side’s celebrations were cut short when Carlos was ruled to have fouled Di Gregorio.
It looked a harsh call, though Carlos’ arm did make contact with the Juve goalkeeper as he leapt towards the ball.
‘I think it’s soft,’ said Watkins. ‘Maybe in the Premier League it’s a goal, but not in Europe. In the competition the goalkeepers are protected by the referees but I thought it was a goal. But it had 0-0 written all over it, so it would have been lucky had we won it.
‘I’ve got to be careful what I say about the referee but the refereeing is different. Referees don't let things go in this competition as much in the Premier League, but it's out of our control. Some of those things go for you and some go against you and we have to accept that.’