Pundits blast controversial VAR penalty call that cost Liverpool dearly in Champions League

Referee Maurizio Mariani overturns Liverpool’s penalty (Getty)

Liverpool could not produce another famous European comeback at Anfield as they were knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain - but had their second-half penalty not been controversially overturned, things could have been very different.

The hosts were trailing 2-0 on aggregate but still had the second leg finely poised at 0-0, knowing the pendulum could swing heavily in their favour if they made PSG’s net bulge.

It looked like they had secured the golden opportunity to do just that as Alexis Mac Allister went down under the challenge of Willian Pacho to earn Liverpool a penalty on 64 minutes.

Alexis Mac Allister goes down under the challenge of Willian Pacho in the box (Getty)

Former referee Mark Clattenburg said on Prime Video’s coverage of the match that he expected the call against what he branded a “clumsy challenge” to stand, but to his and the commentators’ surprise, match official Maurizio Mariani was ordered to the pitchside monitor and promptly overturned his decision.

“We talk about clear and obvious every time we talk about interventions,” Clattenburg, bemoaning the decision. “When we see the contact on Mac Allister, people will say it’s soft but it’s not wrong. There is contact. Once the referee gives it, I expect the penalty to be upheld.”

Liverpool’s second-half penalty was contentiously overturned (PA)

Alan Shearer then added: “I’m surprised as well because Mac Allister does ever so well to protect that ball, inviting the challenge in from Pacho and once he tries to get the ball and doesn’t, and does make contact with him and the referee gives it, I’m really, really surprised he’s overturned it.”

It proved the beginning of the end for Liverpool’s hopes of a fightback, with PSG going up the other end and scoring through Ousmane Dembele eight minutes later, taking the aggregate score to 3-0.

Dembele then doubled his tally and PSG’s lead on the night in stoppage time to compound Liverpool’s woes.