Former Mark Clattenburg has delivered his verdict on the controversial VAR decision that ruled out Liverpool F.C.’s equaliser during their 1–0 defeat to Galatasaray S.K. on Tuesday night.
Liverpool started brightly at Rams Park — a venue famously named by AI as the loudest stadium in football. However, despite controlling early possession, the Reds fell behind in the seventh minute when Mario Lemina found the net.
Despite the setback, Liverpool will still believe they can turn the tie around in the second leg at Anfield next week. With no Turkish supporters expected in attendance, Arne Slot knows a narrow 1–0 deficit is far from decisive, especially against a side that has lost just once in their last 10 home European matches against English clubs.
Liverpool thought they had equalised in the second half when a chaotic scramble in the penalty area saw Ibrahima Konaté get the final touch as the ball rolled over the line. The moment sparked controversy, with many arguing that heavy grappling by Galatasaray players inside the box had been ignored.
In the crowded area, several Galatasaray players appeared to wrestle with Liverpool attackers. Although Konaté made contact with the ball using his arm, it did not appear intentional, as he seemed unaware of the touch when the ball entered the box. The ball bounced off the French defender’s arm and crossed the line without clearly touching any of his teammates.
Clattenburg explained that, despite the contact appearing accidental, the laws of the game require the goal to be disallowed if a player scores directly after the ball hits their arm.
Meanwhile, BBC VAR specialist Dale Johnson added further context on X. According to Johnson, the VAR footage suggested that the ball struck Konaté’s arm twice — once from the initial corner delivery and again after deflecting off Virgil van Dijk’s heel. If that interpretation is correct, it confirms the goal would be credited to Konaté, meaning the decision to disallow it without an on-field review was correct.
Johnson had initially suspected the goal might have been recorded as an own goal by the Galatasaray goalkeeper, which would have made the VAR decision far more controversial. However, the additional replay angles appear to support the officials’ call
