Why Barcelona were denied clear penalty vs Inter despite ‘continuing contact into box’

Just before the break, Hakan Calhanoglu extended the hosts’ advantage from the penalty spot, but Barcelona roared back in the second half. In a blistering six-minute stretch, goals from Eric Garcia and Dani Olmo drew the second leg – and the overall tie – level. That’s when things took a controversial turn.

Lamine Yamal, relentlessly pressing down the right wing, appeared to carve out a key opportunity with 20 minutes remaining. The teenage sensation, hailed as one of the brightest young talents in the game, skipped past Mkhitaryan before being impeded by the veteran midfielder’s trailing leg.

Charging toward the Inter penalty area in search of a decisive goal, Yamal was brought down by the former Manchester United and Arsenal player. Referee Szymon Marciniak immediately pointed to the penalty spot, acknowledging the continued nature of the foul.

Though initial contact occurred outside the area, the fact that the interaction carried into the box led to Marciniak’s initial decision — one that sparked outrage among the home fans.

However, following a VAR intervention, the Polish referee reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor. After a careful look, he reversed the call and awarded a free kick outside the box instead.

ESPN’s officiating analyst later explained on X (formerly Twitter) that, by the rules, it is the point of initial contact in a tackle that dictates the nature of the decision, clarifying Marciniak’s reversal.

“As I wrote in this week’s VAR review. Key difference. For a tackle, it’s the first contact that causes the foul. Continuing contact into the box from a tackle isn’t a penalty.”

Johnson, ESPN’s go-to rule extraordinaire, added extra by claiming that if Mkitaryan (or any other player, for that matter) were to be pulling an opponent and continued into the box, a penalty would be awarded. “With holding/pulling, it that starts outside and continues into box, that’s a penalty.”

Barcelona, in their pursuit of a Champions League final berth, couldn’t capitalize on the promising free-kick opportunity — but Raphinha, a frontrunner for the fiercely contested 2025 Ballon d’Or, finally found the net in the 88th minute after sustained attacking pressure.

With the clock ticking down, it seemed Hansi Flick and his team had secured their place in the final.

But that hope was dashed when Francesco Acerbi, scoring his first-ever European goal, delivered a clinical finish more typical of a seasoned striker, adding yet another twist to this dramatic encounter.

Then came Davide Frattesi, brought on in the 79th minute to replace Calhanoglu, who seized the moment and fired Inter into the Champions League final at Munich’s Allianz Arena — capping off a tie that featured an astonishing 13 goals. Whether the Nerazzurri can now go all the way and lift the trophy is a question only time will answer.