Liverpool’s dream run across all competitions under Arne Slot continued as they secured a 1-0 UEFA Champions League win against Girona.
Mohamed Salah made further history for the Reds as he became the first player in the club’s history to reach 50 European goals with his second-half penalty.
The game turned out to be a competitive affair as Girona gave a good account of themselves in front of their own fans.
A second-half spot-kick was the difference between the two sides and Craig Burley isn’t quite sure if it should have been given in the first place.
Craig Burley unsure if Liverpool should have had a penalty vs Girona
(THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Luis Diaz of Liverpool reacts during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD6 match between Girona F...
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Both goalkeepers were called into action in the first half as Alisson Becker and Paulo Gazzaniga played out of their skins to keep the scores level in the first half.
The game started to open up a bit more after the internal and Liverpool threatened to break the deadlock as Luis Diaz tried to weave his way inside the box to get a shot off.
However, he was clipped by Donny van de Beek in a passage of play that saw his boot come off as the Dutchman stepped on his heel.
After a lengthy check, the referee gave Liverpool a penalty after he watched the footage over on the pitch-side monitor.
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Salah stepped up and cooly converted from the spot to give the away side the win, but Burley feels it was a soft one, to say the least.
“I don’t think we can always give a penalty for somebody’s boot coming off,” said Burley on ESPN FC’s YouTube channel.
“It has to be definitive. Are we saying because the boot has come off and the player falls over that it’s a penalty? I mean that’s really micromanaging.
“If there’s a lot of contact and it’s clear on the monitor, I’m ok with that. It was literally Donny van de Beek’s last stud or his cleat. Are we giving penalties for that? That’s a dangerous ground to go on.”
Girona manager Michel has his say on the penalty
Van de Beek’s foul on Diaz generated a lot of chatter after the game as some felt it was a rather soft decision.
However, Girona manager Michel admitted he thought the Dutchman would be penalised after he saw Diaz hitting the ground after his boot came off.
“He takes his boot off and I thought he would call a foul. He steps on it a little on the sideline, and we’re in this VAR reality,” said Michel in his post-match press conference.
“I don’t like these situations very much, but when I saw him take his boot off, I understood the decision.”
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