‘What’s the point of VAR if they’re not going to give a red card there?’: Pundits baffled after Amer Golak’s blatant elbow on Rodri goes unpunished during Manchester City’s clash at Dinamo Zagreb
- Manchester City took on Dinamo Zagreb in Europe on Wednesday night
- The hosts were fortunate Amer Golak wasn’t sent off late in the first half
- Rodri was sent to the ground after it appeared as though Golak elbowed him
- The incident wasn’t checked by VAR and Golak’s elbow went unpunished
Owen Hargreaves led the calls for Dinamo Zagreb’s Amer Golak to be sent off for an elbow on Manchester City midfielder Rodri on Wednesday night.
Rodri went down towards the end of the first half after it appeared as though Golak had caught him with his right elbow.
Rodri went down clutching his face but referee Carlos del Cerro Grande didn’t award a foul.
Amer Golak leans across to where Manchester City midfielder Rodri is running next to him
As Rodri goes for the ball, Golak appears to strike the Manchester City player with his elbow
Rodri fell to the ground after being struck but Golak went unpunished for the first-half incident
Despite TV cameras appearing to show Golak’s right elbow making contact with Rodri’s face, VAR also didn’t intervene.
Hargreaves and former City defender Joleon Lescott were left shocked in the BT Sport studio at half-time.
Lescott said: ‘I wouldn’t have been surprised if that was given (red card). It was intent there I’ve said he’s leant across there from outside the ball’s position.’
Rodri on the end of another challenge – this time by striker Bruno Petkovic in the first half
Former Manchester United player Hargreaves pondered why the technology hadn’t been used.
He said: ‘What’s the point of VAR if they’re not going to give a red card there?
‘It’s a red card every day. He even leaves the ball to go and elbow him. You don’t want to see that because if you get caught and you accidentally push someone in case you’re trying to protect yourself, but that’s a red card.’