FC Bayern celebrated a hard-fought 3-1 win over Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday evening, but the Portuguese side were not proud but angry at the final whistle. Coach Rui Borges was visibly disappointed with several decisions by referee Nicholas Walsh – especially the way Bayern’s second goal was set up
The 69th minute was preceded by a controversial scene: Lennart Karl scored to make it 2:1, but the visitors immediately complained of a foul. Sporting coach Borges clearly vented his displeasure in the Portuguese media: „It’s a bit of a shame that we came away with two goals from set-pieces and a goal that was clearly preceded by a foul.“
His criticism was directed less at Bayern than at the refereeing. „Sometimes we complain about our referees in Portugal, but maybe they are the best,“ said Borges – a clear dig at referee Walsh and his team
Controversial scene involving Tah: foul or correct tackle?
At the center of the discussion: Jonathan Tah. The Bayern defender won the ball before the 2-1 duel with Joao Simoes, but is said to have clutched his opponent from behind with both arms at chest height. Sporting players complained immediately, but Walsh allowed play to continue
From Bayern’s point of view, it was a physical but justifiable tackle – from the Portuguese’s point of view, it was a clear infringement of the rules. As the VAR did not intervene, the decision stood and Karl scored a few seconds later
While Munich celebrated an important Champions League victory thanks to goals from Gnabry, Karl and Tah, Sporting left the Allianz Arena in frustration. Rui Borges repeatedly emphasized that his team had played better than the result suggested – and that the referee’s performance had, in his view, significantly influenced the course of the game
In the end, the scene surrounding the 2:1 remains a topic of discussion. Nevertheless, FC Bayern made a sporting statement – even if their opponents are still very annoyed.
