How was this not a penalty?! Mane gets away with clear handball in Bayern-Inter Champions League clash
- Mane moved arms towards the ball
- VAR asked the ref to check
- Penalty still wasn't given
WHAT HAPPENED? Bayernwere playing host to Inter Milan in the Champions League and with the scores still level at 0-0, Nicolo Barella fired a stunning volley at goal from the edge of the box. Mane seemed to block the ball with his hands but referee Ivan Kruzliak didn't award the penalty despite VAR asking him to check the pitch-side monitor.
This was deemed not a penalty...
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) November 1, 2022
Sadio Mané didn't have much time to think about it, the right decision?#UCL pic.twitter.com/afFZqX21di
One of the key considerations is a player making his body bigger, which usually refers to their silhouette.
— Dale Johnson (@DaleJohnsonESPN) November 1, 2022
As you can see from the two images, the silhouette of Mane's body on the path of the ball is not increased by his arms. pic.twitter.com/eM5bAcVtBq
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Die Roten will finish top of Group C regardless of the final result, while Inter are guaranteed qualification in second place. This comes at the expense of Barcelona who will now drop into the Europa League in the new year.
WHAT NEXT FOR MUNICH? Mane and his teammates will no doubt hope to go all the way in Europe this season, with Bayern winning the competition in 2022. They have concerns domestically, however, as they are currently second in Bundesliga and trail Union Berlin by one point.