Paris Saint-Germain’s sporting director, Luís Campos, expressed his outrage, stating, “It’s a red card and a penalty,” as referees returned to the dressing room at halftime. His frustration stemmed from a 25th-minute incident where Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konaté made contact with PSG’s Bradley Barcola, who was approaching the goal.
Despite the collision, which Campos felt warranted punishment, referee Davide Massa did not penalize Konaté. VAR’s decision not to review the play upheld the original no-foul call. Konaté, in a post-match interview, described the contact as “soft” and stated he didn’t use excessive “power”.
The Liverpool defender added, “I just put my arm, and that was it.” The game continued with eleven players on each side, and Liverpool secured a 1-0 victory thanks to a late goal from Harvey Elliott. This win gives Liverpool an advantage heading into the second leg of their Champions League Round of 16 match against PSG at Anfield.
However, the incident involving Konaté remains a significant point of contention for PSG. Images showed a furious Campos repeatedly insisting, with increasing anger, that Konaté should have been sent off and a penalty awarded to PSG. PSG coach Luis Enrique declined to comment on the incident after the game.