Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies handled a Dembele cross inside the penalty area at close range. There was no intent: the ball first struck Davies on the hip before rebounding onto his hand. Video assistant referee Carlos del Cerro Grande intervened, and, after reviewing the footage, referee Scharer awarded a penalty.
“The left arm extends and increases the defensive surface area. The left arm comes out and increases the blocking surface. In my view, it is definitely a punishable handball because the body surface area is widened. Based on these images, the decision was correct,” said leading referee expert Lutz Wagner, backing the official’s call. Kimmich, however, was far from convinced: “That’s really frustrating, because there’s no opponent behind him who could have scored. The rule could use a tweak.” The 31-year-old added that he would prefer a system where not every handball in the box automatically leads to a penalty, suggesting instead a less severe sanction for such accidental incidents.
Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany called the incident “highly debatable”, while sporting director Max Eberl added in the mixed zone: “There’s plenty to discuss. The ball hits the body first, then the hand, so perhaps it shouldn’t have been given. But what’s the point of getting worked up now? Unfortunately, he blew the whistle.”
TwoAmazon Prime pundits and former internationals, Christoph Kramer and Mats Hummels, also criticised the decision. “It’s that super slow-motion again; that’s the worst thing in football, it makes everything look much worse,” complained Kramer. Hummels added: “After the shot, the hand flails away, which makes it look worse. The ball bounces off the hip; I always thought that shouldn’t be a penalty.”