FC Bayern’s 2-2 draw at FC Augsburg continues to spark debate even after the final whistle. In addition to the numerous missed scoring chances and Manuel Neuer’s early mistake, a controversial VAR decision is the main focus of attention. In the 51st minute, a goal by Luis Díaz was disallowed for offside. However, former Bundesliga referee Patrick Ittrich believes this decision was incorrect.
The incident occurred shortly after halftime. Joshua Kimmich took a free kick into the Augsburg penalty area, with Josip Stanisic in an offside position. The hosts were then able to clear the ball before Bayern regained possession and built up a new attack.
Díaz finished the attack successfully. But the goal was disallowed after a review by the video assistant referee. The decisive factor was Stanisic’s previous offside position.
“A very, very controversial decision”
For referee expert Patrick Ittrich, the video assistant referee’s intervention was incomprehensible. The former Bundesliga referee explained on Sky why he would have allowed the goal to stand.
“There was an offside situation, and then the ball was actually played out again by a player who was completely unmarked. That means the situation was over, and then the next intervention occurred,” Ittrich analyzed.
In his view, the original offside situation had already been resolved by Augsburg’s clearance. The fact that Bayern subsequently regained possession and launched another attack was therefore decisive.
“That’s the classic ‘next play’ scenario, and in my view, the goal should have counted,” the 47-year-old clarified.
Ittrich left no doubt about his assessment: “I think this is a very, very controversial decision.”
Should Díaz’s goal have counted?
At the heart of the discussion is the question of whether Augsburg’s clearance actually initiated a new phase of play.
According to Ittrich, that is exactly what happened. The former referee argues that the ball was initially cleared out of the danger zone and that Munich then built up a new attack.
“That creates a new phase of play, and accordingly, the goal should actually have counted,” the Sky expert affirmed.
In doing so, Ittrich contradicts the assessment of the refereeing team and the video assistant referee. His statements illustrate just how differently such game situations can be interpreted.
Whether the decision was actually incorrect under the rules depends on a precise assessment of the initial offside position and the subsequent play.
Bayern drops crucial points
For the Munich team, the controversy is particularly frustrating. After all, Vincent Kompany’s squad had numerous opportunities to win the match against FC Augsburg anyway.
In addition to Díaz’s disallowed goal, Bayern hit the woodwork several times or were denied by Augsburg goalkeeper Finn Dahmen. Other goals were also disallowed due to offside calls.
In the end, despite their offensive dominance, the record champions had to settle for a 2-2 draw.
The controversial decision in the 51st minute is therefore likely to remain a topic of discussion for some time. At least from Patrick Ittrich’s perspective, Bayern were denied a legitimate goal.