During the week, Barcelona were one of the lucky clubs that progressed through to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League after beating Benfica 3-1 at Camp Nou and 4-1 on aggregate.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the bracket, there was arguably the tie of the round with an all-Spanish affair between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.
Former Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher scored within the first minute to draw the teams level and the game ended that way after a full 210 minutes of football.
To get a winner, penalties were required to figure out who would enter the next round.
Sadly for Atletico, Real Madrid ended up winning the shootout but it was not without its controversies as striker Julian Alvarez’s penalty was disallowed due to an apparent double touch.
Originally allowed to stand, the VAR got involved and disallowed it after the fact and it meant that Atletico had one less goal than their opponents.
This decision has sparked outrage all across social media as some people believe the second touch is not conclusive and that it did not affect the outcome of the spot kick.
Gavi on Julian Alvarez’s penalty vs Real Madrid
In a recent interview with Movistar+, cited by Managing Barca, Barcelona midfielder Gavi spoke about the controversial situation and provided a potential fix on the rule.
“I’m not sure about the rule, but I would do this.
“If a player touches it twice, the penalty should be retaken.
“But I don’t know, the referees will decide”.
Unfortunately for Julian Alvarez and Atletico Madrid, it is just an unfortunate situation but as Gavi said, retaking the penalty does seem like the sensible decision.
If a goalkeeper saves the ball after being off his line then it is retaken, so it does make sense for a similar rule to be in place if Alvarez’s situation happens again in the future.
🚨🗣️ Gavi: “I’m not sure about the rule, but I would do this: If a player touches it twice, the penalty should be retaken. But I don’t know, the referees will decide.” pic.twitter.com/dvSXaogBmA
— Managing Barça (@ManagingBarca) March 14, 2025
