A VAR check cleared Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate of pushing Paris Saint-Germain forward Bradley Barcola when he was through on goal
Paris Saint-Germain's French forward #29 Bradley Barcola (L) and Liverpool's French defender #05 Ibrahima Konate (R) fight for the ball during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg football match between Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) and Liverpool (ENG) at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on March 5, 2025. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
PSG forward Bradley Barcola goes down under pressure from Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate but no foul was given
Ibrahima Konate insisted he did not foul Bradley Barcola in Liverpool's dramatic 1-0 Champions League victory at Paris Saint-Germain. The Reds withstood a first-half barrage from the hosts and were on the back foot for most of the second period too.
But with goalkeeper Alisson Becker in inspired form, Arne Slot's side managed to hold on and late in the game snatched the most unlikely of winners when Harvey Elliott combined with fellow substitute Darwin Nunez to score.
But the outcome may well have been different had Liverpool centre-back Konate been given his marching orders for a push in the back on Barcola as the PSG forward burst through on goal in the 25th minute of the match.
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Referee Davide Massa did not blow for a foul, however, and the VAR viewed that there was not a clear and obvious error.
PSG were furious but Konate was adamant he did nothing wrong. Speaking to Canal Plus, the France international said: "There was a VAR check. If there was a push, like you said, I would have been shown a red card.
"’I'm telling you that there wasn’t a foul. It’s true that I am very strong but I don’t apply power, I just put my arm. If I had put a lot more power into it then we could talk about it, but it was soft from me."
The round-of-16 second leg takes place at Anfield on Tuesday (March 11).