Barcelona had a goal controversially ruled out after an eight-minute VAR review during their Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Atletico Madrid. The incident occurred when Pau Cubarsi scored in the second half, reducing the deficit to 4-1, but replays suggested Robert Lewandowski was offside in the build-up.
The delay, which led to both sets of players warming up again, was caused by a failure in the semi-automated offside technology (SAOT). Spain's Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) later confirmed that a 'high density' of players in the box prevented the system from properly modelling player skeletons, forcing VAR officials to draw offside lines manually.
Hansi Flick's side had already been trailing 4-0 at half-time, and the disallowed goal disrupted their momentum. Barcelona manager Hansi Flick described the situation as a 'mess', adding that there was no communication from the officials. 'When I see this situation, it was clear no offside,' he said.
Barcelona also lost Eric Garcia to a controversial red card late in the match. The second leg is scheduled for March 3, leaving the holders with a steep challenge to overturn the deficit.
