In a gripping Champions League last-16 encounter, Atletico Madrid suffered a controversial moment when Julian Alvarez's penalty was disallowed during a tense shoot-out against Real Madrid. The Argentine forward had stepped up as Atletico's second penalty taker, aiming to level the score following Real's narrow 1-0 victory in the second leg at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. However, his effort was ruled out due to a possible double touch, a decision that proved decisive as Real Madrid advanced with a 4-2 victory on penalties.
Alvarez approached the spot with determination and smashed his shot just beneath the crossbar, leaving Real Madrid's goalkeeper Thibault Courtois with no chance. The elation was short-lived as referee Szymon Marciniak intervened, pointing to his feet and crossing his arms to signal the disallowed goal. The decision centered around whether Alvarez's standing leg had made contact with the ball before he struck it, leading to allegations of a double touch.
Television replays offered conflicting perspectives on the incident. Some angles suggested Alvarez's standing leg did not touch the ball, adding to the controversy. Diego Simeone, Atletico's head coach, questioned the evidence supporting the decision.
"The referee said that when Julián stepped and kicked, he touched the ball with his foot, but the ball didn't move. That's something to discuss about whether it was a goal or not, but I'm proud of my players." – Diego Simeone
The disallowed goal was not immediately apparent to fans in the stadium, who were unaware of the decision until it was confirmed after a check by VAR. The review process lasted one minute and eight seconds, ultimately concluding that Alvarez had indeed committed a foul by touching the ball twice. Courtois later acknowledged his role in alerting the referee to the potential infraction.
"I felt that he touched the ball twice and I told the referee." – Thibault Courtois
The incident left a marked impact on Atletico's campaign, as Alvarez's disallowed penalty was a pivotal moment in the shoot-out. The call sparked debate among players and coaches alike. Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric remarked that if Alvarez had indeed touched the ball twice, then it would have been a violation of the rules.
Diego Simeone expressed his skepticism about the decision's accuracy and whether there was conclusive proof of the double touch.
"When he plants his foot and kicks, the ball doesn't move even a little bit. But if VAR called it, I've never seen a penalty called by VAR, but it's still valid, and they'll have seen that he touched it." – Diego Simeone
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