The UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg between Atletico Madrid and Arsenal ended in a 1-1 draw, but all the talk after the match was about a trio of penalty decisions – two of which stood, and one, crucially, that was overturned.
Arsenal completely dominated the opening 45 minutes as Atletico seemed content to sit back and defend, but the visitors made the breakthrough on the stroke of half-time when Viktor Gyokeres was shoved to the floor inside the penalty area, and referee Danny Makkelie pointed to the spot.
After a VAR review backed up the official’s decision, Gyokeres stepped up and slammed his spot-kick through Jan Oblak’s hands to put The Gunners 1-0 up, and seemingly well on top as the teams headed into the dressing rooms at half-time.
The second half couldn’t have been more different than the first, as Atletico came out after the break and took the game to Mikel Arteta’s men.
A Marcos Llorente shot, which was going well wide, hit the stray hand of Ben White, drawing huge appeals for a penalty for the hosts. Referee Makkelie initially waved them away, but VAR intervened and the spot-kick was eventually awarded.
Julian Alvarez emphatically dispatched the penalty, and the game completely transformed, as the stadium exploded into life, and Atletico had Arsenal on the rack. But The Gunners weathered the storm and started to get back on top, with substitute Eberechi Eze to the fore.
The Arsenal No. 10 burst into the box and appeared to be fouled by David Hancko. Makkelie pointed to the spot once again, sparking wild scenes of protest as the Atletico players surrounded the official, while boss Diego Simeone protested vociferously on the touchline.
VAR intervened once again and, after a lengthy period of review, called the referee to the monitor. After watching the incident back several times, the official then opted to reverse his on-pitch decision, sparking huge Atletico celebrations on the pitch, on the touchline, and in the stands.
When the final whistle blew, it was the hosts who were celebrating a 1-1 first-leg draw, while Arsenal, and their clearly unhappy boss Mikel Arteta, were left to rue the spot-kick that might have been.
