Liverpool have received multiple verdicts on Ibrahima Konate's chalked-off goal during their frustrating 1-0 loss to Galatasaray in the Champions League last-16 first leg on Tuesday evening. The Reds fell behind to an early header from Mario Lemina, but thought they had levelled when Konate scored from a corner, only for the goal to be disallowed for handball after a VAR review.
UEFA issued a statement clarifying the decision: "Goal disallowed - handball offence. Liverpool player, No.5 [Konate], directly scored the goal with his right arm." The incident has sparked fierce debate, with former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett arguing the goal should have stood. "The ball may have struck the arm of Konate. I do not see this as a deliberate action," Hackett told Football Insider.
However, another former Premier League referee, Mark Clattenburg, backed the officials. "There is no doubt that Ibrahima Konate does touch the ball with his arm. While it’s an accidental contact, the laws are clear that the goal must be cancelled," Clattenburg said.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot expressed his frustration after the defeat, highlighting a lack of clinical finishing. "It's bad déjà vu, you could say. The score is the same as the match three months ago. But we played a game where we could have scored much more," Slot told UEFA.
