‘Come on…’

Updated 07/05/2024 at 22:46 GMT

TNT Sports experts Rio Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves disagreed about whether Paris Saint-Germain should have a second-half penalty in their UEFA Champions League semi-final loss to Borussia Dortmund. While Ferdinand was adamant that Ousmane Dembele was fouled inside the box, Hargreaves felt otherwise. Ally McCoist, on commentary, agreed with the latter.

Ousmane Dembele of Paris Saint-Germain is fouled by Mats Hummels of Borussia Dortmund, which results in a free kick for Paris Saint-Germain, during the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg match between Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund at

Image credit: Getty Images

Paris Saint Germain missed plenty of chances in their UEFA Champions League loss against Borussia Dortmund, hitting the woodwork on more than one occasion. But it was a chance they never had that caused a disagreement in the TNT Sports studio, with the team denied a penalty opportunity by barely a millimetre.

With 65 minutes on the clock, Ousmane Dembele went to dribble into the penalty box with Mats Hummels going for a late tackle and hitting his opponent’s shin. It was a clear foul, of that there was no doubt. But was it a penalty?

The referee looked across to his linesman and didn’t give it, and VAR deemed it just a foul. But Rio Ferdinand was having none of that.

“This is a penalty, look at it,” Ferdinand said afterwards.

“The initial contact is outside,” countered Owen Hargreaves.

“His actual left toe is on the line, surely if you are on the line it’s a penalty. His left foot is on the line when the contact is made, come on man it has to be a pen,” Ferdinand retorted.

The former Manchester United defender was adamant – but Hargreaves wasn’t so sure.

“I think they probably got it right. It’s interesting because initially the referee gives it, he’s right on top [of it] – I think the ref had a really good game – couldn’t get any closer. You see the ref straight away bang that’s a penalty, he looks across at his assistant referee and he overrules him and says it’s outside.”

The bad news for Ferdinand is that he was outnumbered in the end, with commentator Ally McCoist agreeing that the referee made the right call.

“No, I don’t think it’s a penalty, I think the contact is definitely on his shin outside the box. I definitely think the referee gave a penalty, and then almost immediately changed his mind to get what I thought was the correct decision.”

In the end, that wasn’t the only thing that didn’t go PSG’s way, the team likely to rue plenty of missed opportunities as they see another Champions League campaign end in disappointing fashion.

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