Liverpool were furious they weren't awarded a penalty on Tuesday evening after Dominik Szoboszlai shot from just outside the area clearly struck Aurelien Tchouameni's hand
20:49, 04 Nov 2025Updated 20:58, 04 Nov 2025
Liverpool were denied a penalty
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Liverpool were denied a penalty
Liverpool fans were left furious on Tuesday evening when they thought they should have been awarded a penalty against Real Madrid.
Dominik Szoboszlai thought he had won his side a penalty in the first-half, when his shot was blocked by the hand of Aurelien Tchouameni. However, Istvan Kovacs decided the ball was outside the area.
Tchouameni knew little of what had just happened, he was mere meters away from Szoboszlai and had his hands tucked into his side. But replays showed he had touched the ball in the box.
As a result, a lengthy VAR check saw Kovacs being sent across to the monitor - where he decided to cancel out the free-kick and not award a penalty.
It was deemed his arm was close to his body, according to Amazon Prime.
It was decided his hand was in a natural position
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It was decided his hand was in a natural position
It was a sense of justice for former Real Madrid defender Jonathan Woodgate, and he said on BBC Radio 5 Live: "I don't know what Aurelien Tchouameni can do with his arms! I don't get the decision if it's a penalty.
"Common sense has to prevail, surely."
While Stephen Warnock added: "You're trying to throw you body into it - the arms aren't too far out. A good decision."
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However, Liverpool fans were left furious on social media: "It's a handball, but only if it's outside the box apparently..."
"Absolutely pathetic. In Europe, this is a handball every day of the week," a second said. And another added: "Once again Liverpool getting cheated out of games. Clear handball..."
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But another fan admitted: "The only reason there’s an uproar is because the UCL refs give all handballs as penalties. But if you think about it, that should never be given as handball, it’s a great decision."