Proof: Barcelona right to feel aggrieved after Benfica avoided a clear red card | OneFootball

Barcelona found themselves at a major disadvantage early in the match against Benfica, as they were reduced to ten men in just the 21st minute.

Pau Cubarsi was shown a straight red card for bringing down Vangelis Pavlidis right at the edge of the penalty area.

The referee deemed the challenge to have denied a clear goalscoring opportunity, leaving Barcelona to fight with a numerical disadvantage for the majority of the game.

There was another controversy

Despite this, there was another controversial moment in the first half that could have levelled the playing field. In the 45th minute, Leandro Barreiro committed a dangerous foul that many believed warranted a direct red card.

The Benfica midfielder went in with his studs high, making direct contact with the right shin of Inigo Martinez. The Barcelona defender was left writhing on the ground in visible pain, needing time to recover.

However, despite the severity of the challenge, referee Felix Zwayer only showed Barreiro a yellow card. The images made it clear that the challenge was reckless and dangerous, yet the decision stood.

No intervention from VAR

To make matters worse for Barcelona, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), overseen by another German official, Bastian Dankert, did not intervene.

Despite having access to multiple replays, the VAR team decided that the incident was not serious enough to warrant a straight red card.

They did not recommend Zwayer to review the footage on the monitor, even though Barcelona’s players vocally protested against the decision.

Bookings for Barcelona defenders

Frustration continued to build among the Barcelona squad, leading to further bookings. Martinez, still furious over the incident, threw his shin guard to the ground in frustration, which led to him being cautioned by the referee.

Ronald Araujo also received a yellow card for protesting the decision. With these bookings, both Martinez and Araujo now have two yellow cards in the Champions League, meaning they are just one more away from serving a suspension.

Barcelona not only had to battle with ten men for most of the game but also had to endure questionable refereeing decisions that could have completely changed the outcome of the match.