Why did Liverpool have a penalty cancelled by VAR? PSG defender Pacho's foul on Mac Allister overturned

Why did Liverpool have a penalty cancelled by VAR? PSG defender Pacho's foul on Mac Allister overturned originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Liverpool were on the hunt for another famous European turnaround at Anfield as they hosted reigning Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain on Merseyside.

With PSG leading the quarterfinal matchup 2-0 on aggregate after a convincing win in the French capital, Liverpool threw everything they had at the defending champions and worked their way into the ascendancy shortly after halftime, with the match scoreline still unblemished.

When it appeared that Alexis Mac Allister had won a penalty shortly past the hour mark, Liverpool fans began to believe they could indeed overturn the aggregate deficit, but their elation was short-lived as the chance was negated upon a VAR review.

The Sporting News explains the incident and why the Italian officiating crew came to the decision it ultimately reached.

MORE:Recap of the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinal between Liverpool and PSG

VAR overturns Liverpool penalty against PSG

In the 66th minute of Liverpool's second leg against PSG, still trailing 2-0 on aggregate, the Reds appeared to have their chance of a breakthrough.

With Liverpool dominating the run of play after halftime, Alexis Mac Allister stepped in front of Willian Pacho in the penalty area and felt contact from behind, going down to the turf. Italian referee Maurizio Mariani obliged, pointing to the spot to give the hosts a penalty in front of the Kop.

However, the VAR official Marco Di Bello called Mariani over to the monitor, and upon review, the referee decided to cancel the decision and nullify the penalty chance.

It was a massive moment in the match, because it saw Liverpool ultimately waste their time in the attack. PSG would then go on to score the killing blow minutes later as Ousmane Dembele found the back of the net against the run of play to put PSG 3-0 up aggregate and end the threat.

Watch Liverpool penalty decision in USA:

Why was Mac Allister penalty nullified by VAR?

While the penalty decision from Maurizio Mariani was soft, it was nonetheless surprising to see the call overturned on review. >The decision likely came down to the fact that Mac Allister did not play the ball, but instead stepped in front of Pacho to initiate contact. From there, Pacho did not kick or swipe at the ball or otherwise foul Mac Allister beyond the hip-to-hip contact initiated by the Argentine midfielder.

Still, the incident did not seem to be a "clear and obvious error," and thus it was surprising to see the call overturned by VAR, as the presence of clear contact appeared to give the referee some justification for his decision.