The head coach of Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti, believes that Manchester City’s equalizer in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal on Tuesday was not a legitimate goal.
Ancelotti was angry with the referee for not deploying VAR after City scored because he believed the ball had crossed the touchline before Bernardo Silva brought the ball back into play in the build up to Kevin De Bruyne’s equalizer.
Despite getting a yellow card for entering the field of play while protesting over the goal, Ancelotti was upset with the referee Artur Soares Dias after the game.
The veteran Italian tactician said, “The ball was off the pitch. The technology said it. I don’t understand why VAR didn’t check it. The referee didn’t pay attention to many things tonight.”
De Bruyne stepped up for his team to equalize with an astonishing goal when the hosts were in control after Vinicius Jr. had given Real Madrid the lead against the run of play with a thunderous shot.
The Ancelotti team initially struggled to contain City, but once they took the lead, they settled into the game and started to seem more dangerous. Despite the efforts from the two teams, the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
Real Madrid now need to defeat City at the Etihad, a feat that has only been achieved by Brentford this season. If the second leg ends in a draw, no matter the scoreline, the tie will be decided via penalties.
The second leg encounter will kick off at 8 PM WAT on Wednesday, May 17. The winner of the encounter will take on either AC Milan or Inter Milan in the Champions League final on June 10.
