Matthijs de Ligt has revealed what the linesman told him after a horrible mistake in the Bayern Munich Champion League semi-final clash against Real Madrid on Wednesday, May 8.
What happened?
It was a night of intense pressure and drama at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Spain where Real Madrid came from behind to secure a 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich to reach the Champions League final.
The game started on a high note as both teams were seeking to book a ticket to Wembley Stadium where the final match will be played on June 1, 2024.
It was Real Madrid who first saw a chance in the first half but Vinicius Junior hit the woodwork before Rodrygo’s effort was denied by Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
Bayern Munich saw the breakthrough in 68 minutes of play courtesy of Alphonso Davies’ powerful strike, but the German powerhouse were handed a heartbreak after Joselu capitalized on Neuer’s error to put Real Madrid level in the 88th minute.
Thereafter, Joselu, the former Stoke City frontman found the back of the net in 90+1 minutes through Antonio Rudiger’s cross as the match official raised 9 minutes of additional time.
However, Bayern Munich thought they had come to life when Matthijs de Ligt scored a 90+10 equalizer, only for the linesman to rule it offside, and the goal was immediately disallowed as the referee blew his whistle.
The ball was played into the Madrid box towards Leroy Sane, who was beaten to the header by Ferland Mendy. Even though it was the Madrid player who headed the ball, the linesman raised his flag quickly to wave Sane offside and the referee’s whistle went before the ball hit the net.
The center referee could have consulted the Video Assistant Referee but the linesman raised flag had been judged correctly which means VAR cannot intervene.
Tension arose at Santiago Bernabeu as Bayern Munich players and the bench were left furious, Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel was further shown a yellow card after he was filmed shouting at the linesman and Madrid went on to seal the 2-1 triumph.
Matthijs de Ligt complained about the officials after the game and revealed the linesman’s apology to him.
Speaking after the game, the former Ajax player said; “I don’t want to say that Real Madrid always has the referees with them but that made the difference today.”
He added; “The linesman told me: ‘Sorry, I made a mistake’.”
What fans are saying about Bayern Munich’s canceled goal
A fan on X noticed the mistakes and was quick to comment; “The errors in today’s football are more than the ones in this current technology age.”
Another fan said; “Bayern Munich was purely robbed.”
A third one added; “He was clearly offside.”
Meanwhile, a fourth fan explains his point of view, he wrote; “The reason why the goal wasn’t checked by VAR, was as a result that the whistle had gone before the goal was scored, which made Madrid players stop playing.”
What’s next?
Real Madrid will be seen in the final against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium in London on June 1, 2024, where the German side will be looking forward to winning their first European most prestigious trophy. Madrid, on the other hand, are on the hunt for their 15th Champions League title.
