Two goals were controversially ruled out within a matter of minutes during Liverpool's clash with Galatasaray on Tuesday evening - Ibrahima Konate involved in both incidents in embarrassing fashion
Ibrahima Konate trips
Ibrahima Konate made a major mistake(Image: X)
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Liverpool and Galatasaray each saw a goal chalked off in the latter stages of Tuesday evening's Champions League last-16 first leg clash at Rams Park. VAR came to Ibrahima Konate's rescue 62 minutes into the fixture, with Victor Osimhen thundering the ball into the back of the net off the back of a calamitous error from the centre-half.
Already 1-0 down thanks to Mario Lemina's seventh-minute strike, Konate scuffed the ball as he attempted to pass it back to Giorgi Mamardashvili on the edge of his own area 62 minutes into the fold. Noa Lang pounced on the error, bursting with pace past the last line of defence before floating it towards Osimhen at the back post.
While Konate time to get back in front of the Galatasaray striker, he hashed a goal line clearance before Osimhen blasted it home from short range to seemingly give the hosts a 2-0 lead. However, blushes on Konate's part were spared when the strike was ruled out seconds later.
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Despite Baris Alper Yilmaz being in an offside position as the initial ball was played toward Konate, the winger had no part in the goal - leaving many fans with their eyebrows raised as to why the goal was chalked off. TNT Sports co-commentator Steve Sidwell, meanwhile, suggested that Yilmaz impacted Konate's attempts to regain possession and that was why the goal was overruled.
Just a matter of moments later, Liverpool were on the other side of a controversial decision, after seemingly equalising from a scrappy corner. Dominik Szoboszlai whipped the ball into the six-yard box with pace, before Konate seemingly atoned for his past mistake by knocking it into the back of the goal with his shoulder.
However, VAR deemed that the ball had bounced off the arm of Konate, which subsequently ricocheted off the arm of Virgil van Dijk before crossing the goal line, an opinion that Sam Matterface also held. The decision was then made to cancel the goal out entirely for handball.
Despite their best efforts, Liverpool were ultimately unable to salvage anything from the first leg clash under the bright lights, and will head into next week's reverse fixture at Anfield with a one-goal deficit to overcome should they harbour any aspirations of advancing to the next round of the Champions League.
However, home advantage will be strengthened further by the fact that Galatasaray fans will not be permitted to attend the match, owing to crowd members 'throwing objects, lighting fireworks and causing crowd disturbances' during their 3-2 defeat at Juventus last month.
It comes as the Champions League, as well as the FA Cup, offer Liverpool a last hope to salvage their season after struggling domestically. With just nine games to go in the Premier League, the Reds sit sixth in the standings - 19 points adrift of a table-topping Arsenal.
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