UEL: Missed Penalty Calls Baffle ten Hag, Xavi In Draw

One of the most outstanding matches in Europe, Barcelona v Manchester United ended in a draw with several penalty appeals by managers and players alike in a feisty match at Spotify Camp Nou.

The return leg will be the decider given that the away goal does not longer counts in UEFA Competitions.

Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, expressed his bewilderment over the referee's decision not to send off Jules Kounde of Barcelona after his challenge on Marcus Rashford during their Europa League match.

Ten Hag said that the decision had a significant impact not just on the match, but on the entire round.

In his words, "You can discuss if it's in the box or outside, but definitely, it's a red card. I asked the referee 'why' and he said 'it was outside the box and it was no foul'. The linesman and referee were in very good positions to see and we have VAR. It was a really bad decision and I can't understand."

Rashford, who was on the receiving end of the challenge, said that he was perplexed by the referee's decision. In his words, "I don't understand why the referee thinks that I'm going down in that position. I've touched it past him and I'm one-on-one with the keeper. There's no gain for me to go down at all."

Meanwhile, Xavi Hernandez, the Barcelona manager, believed that his team should have been awarded a penalty when Fred handled a Sergi Roberto effort with the score at 2-2. Xavi said, "It seems incredible to me. They said VAR had checked it."