The captain of Bodo/Glimt has shared details of what the referee told him about Andre Onana’s alleged ‘handball’ during the Europa League match.
On Thursday, Manchester United’s new manager, Ruben Amorim, oversaw his first game at Old Trafford in a Europa League fixture against Norwegian team Bodo/Glimt.
As seen in their match against Ipswich Town the previous weekend, United started strongly with an early goal but had to stage a comeback to secure a 3-2 victory after their opponents quickly equalized. ..Continue Reading
A controversial incident involving United goalkeeper Onana sparked outrage among visiting fans, who demanded a red card. The Bodo/Glimt captain later disclosed the referee’s explanation for not penalizing Onana.
In the final minutes of the game, Onana made a challenge near the edge of the United penalty area, with replays suggesting the ball may have touched his hand.
After a VAR review, the Cameroonian goalkeeper avoided a straight red card, which would have been issued for handling the ball outside the penalty area.
Following the match, Bodo/Glimt captain Patrick Berg revealed what the referee had said to justify the decision not to send Onana off.
“I feel Jens [Petter Hauge] tries to drag the ball past Onana and then it hits his hand,” Berg told NRK, via United In Focus.
“He [referee] explains that there is a rule that states that the ball can hit the hand if it is on the ground as a support, then it does not matter.”
Teammate Hakon Evjen also gave his thoughts on the incident, saying: “It looked like he takes it with his hand now and then, whether there is support or not. It is an open target for Jens at 20 metres, so it is at least debatable.”
The victory moves Manchester United to 12th place out of 36 teams in the Europa League standings, marking their second consecutive win in the competition after a string of three consecutive draws.
United are now just one point away from breaking into the top eight, which secures automatic qualification for the next round. Meanwhile, Bodo/Glimt find themselves only two points clear of the 12 teams set to be eliminated at the conclusion of the group stage.
