Ex-Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez also counting the cost of ‘absurd’ VAR call in last-gasp 2-1 loss

03.10.2023 16:39

Empire of The Kop

Any Liverpool fans following the fortunes of Rafael Benitez at Celta Vigo will have had a painful sense of deja vu on Monday night.On Saturday, the Reds were robbed of a legitimate opening goal in the 34th minute due to an erroneous VAR decision and succumbed to a stoppage time winner in a 2-1 defeat […]

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Any Liverpool fans following the fortunes of Rafael Benitez at Celta Vigo will have had a painful sense of deja vu on Monday night.

On Saturday, the Reds were robbed of a legitimate opening goal in the 34th minute due to an erroneous VAR decision and succumbed to a stoppage time winner in a 2-1 defeat away from home.

On Monday night, the former LFC manager’s current side were robbed of a legitimate opening goal in the 34th minute due to an erroneous VAR decision and succumbed to a stoppage time winner in a 2-1 defeat away from home.

Celta thought they had taken the lead against Las Palmas when Jorgen Strand Larsen finished to the net, only for the goal to be disallowed after Anastasios Douvikas was harshly adjudged to have blocked off his opponent in the build-up (judge for yourself here).

Benitez didn’t mince his words over the decision when speaking to DAZN (via Football Espana) after the game, describing it as ‘absurd’ and adding: “It can’t be, this is football. We’re not talking about ping pong. We’re continually rowing against the current.”

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The decision to disallow Larsen’s goal wasn’t quite as baffling as the one which cost Luis Diaz and Liverpool on Saturday, although the former Reds boss still seemed to have a legitimate grievance.

Douvikas appeared to be held back by Mika Marmol rather than the other way around before the ball ran through to the Norwegian striker to score.

The parallels between Benitez’s current club and his former one were frighteningly coincidental after a three-day period which has seen VAR in the spotlight in both England and Spain. Perhaps the issues with its implementation aren’t confined to the Premier League after all.

You can view Celta’s disallowed goal (from 0:42) via LaLiga on YouTube

#Ep92 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: VAR disaster at Tottenham, what next for the Reds, Liverpool Women impress AND MORE!