Sky Sports pundit Clinton Morrison has criticised the “stupid” rule which disallowed Marcos Alonso’s goal for Chelsea against Real Madrid.
The Blues went into their Champions League quarter-final second leg against Los Blancos 3-1 down from the first leg at Stamford Bridge.
Thomas Tuchel’s charges had it all to do but surged back into the tie with Mason Mount’s 15th-minute opener.
Then, early in the second half, Antonio Rudiger levelled the tie with a thumping header from a Chelsea corner.
In the 62nd minute, Alonso thought he had put the Blues ahead with a fine top-corner finish.
However, VAR disallowed the Spaniard’s goal for handball in the build-up, and Morrison wasn’t happy.
“It is the slightest of touches on his arm,” he said on Sky Sports (21:23). “And he’s disallowed it!
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“It’s the softest handball I’ve seen. That’s the letter of the law in Europe. It’s soft, still 2-0.
“It’s a stupid rule at the moment, he hasn’t moved his hand to it to gain the advantage.
“That’s just VAR but it should spur Chelsea on to get the goal.”
The Blues did go on to make it three in the 75th minute, Timo Werner’s shot finding the bottom corner off Thibaut Courtois.
And not long after, Chelsea very nearly made it four.
Kai Havertz rose from eight yards to head a corner goalwards, but Courtois got down to palm it away.
However, Real struck back out of nowhere, Luka Modric’s superb delivery in the box finding Rodrygo on the volley.
Chelsea pushed hard for a late winner but Los Blancos held on to take the game to extra time.
In the 96th minute, Karim Benzema headed home his fourth goal of the tie to knock the holders out of the competition.