Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag fumes over referee howler, takes a dig at Barcelona
Erik ten Hag argues with the referee over the contentious call
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag gave an earful to the referees after his side was not granted a penalty during the Europa League match against Barcelona on Thursday night. In a post-match interview,ten Hag let it rip and said Barca defender Jules Kounde should have been sent off for his foul on Marcus Rashford.
"If I may make a point that has a big influence not only on this game but on this round, at 2-1, it was a clear foul on Marcus Rashford. We can discuss if it's inside the box or outside the box, but definitely it's a red card. Yes, I asked the referee why. So he said it was outside the box, and it was no foul," said a visibly angry Ten Hag.
The Dutch manager took a shot at Barcelona for their pressure antics on the referee.
"And the linesman and referee were in a very good position to see and I think we had VAR. I think it's not good, it was a really bad decision. I can't understand. Maybe they were impressed by the pressure Barca made but they can't be [like that at] the highest European level."
Ten Hag was furious about the decision from on-field refereeMaurizio Mariani and VAR to let Kounde continue after he blatantly fouled Rashford outside the penalty box when the Red Devil player had a clear goal-scoring opportunity.
Despite the referee'showler, it was a fascinating game which ebbed and flowed both ways for the better part of the 90 minutes. Though the first half remained goalless, both sides created plenty of chances before exploding on the other side of the whistle.
Home side Barcelona drewthe first blood when they took the lead through Marcos Alonso's header, jut five minutes into the second half. However, Rashford, currently in the form of his life, struck within three minutes and restored the parity.
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Afterwards, it was a see-saw battle as both sides landed punches and counterpunches at each other. The game ended level courtesy of a stunning cross from Raphinha which went through the legs of a charging Robert Lewandowski and past an immobile David de Gea.
With the tie on a knife's edge, the teams will reassemble for the second leg at Old Trafford next week in an attempt to seal a spot in the semifinals.
(With inputs from agencies)
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