Fans believe Athletic Bilbao’s Dani Vivian was unfairly dismissed during the first half of their Europa League semi-final first leg against Manchester United.
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The defender was shown a red card after VAR ruled that he had denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity without attempting to play the ball, with United leading 1-0 at the time. ..Continue Reading
Bruno Fernandes stepped up to convert the resulting penalty, doubling his team’s advantage, before netting again to compound Bilbao’s misery with a third goal against the 10-man side.
Some fans contended that Vivian’s challenge on Rasmus Hojlund did not warrant a penalty, but focus soon shifted to an earlier moment in the match.
Alejandro Garnacho lost his footing just outside the box but quickly regained balance and continued his run.
As he got back up, he seemed to unintentionally make contact with the ball using his hand, momentarily stopping it before pushing forward again.
Check it out below…
This is unfair to Bilbao ????
pic.twitter.com/jqObnIdHmY— POOJA!!! (@PoojaMedia) May 1, 2025
But, the IFAB Laws of the Game indicates that the decision not to penalise Garnacho was correct.
The relevant section of Law 12, relating to handball, reads: “A handball offence is not committed when a player heads, kicks or plays the ball with another part of their body and it then hits their own hand/arm (unless the ball goes directly into the opponents’ goal or the player scores immediately afterwards).”
Simply put, if Garnacho’s handball had led directly to a goal he scored, it would have been considered an offense. However, since the play carried on, no infringement was committed.
With a 3-0 advantage against 10 men, Ruben Amorim’s squad will now aim to extend their lead even further, strengthening their grip on the tie ahead of the decisive second leg at Old Trafford.
For Bilbao, the prospect of hosting the final at their home ground adds extra motivation to cut down the deficit in what promises to be a daunting second half.
