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Rio Ferdinand slammed the decision to send off Inter Milan winger Alexis Sanchez in their last-16 Champions League tie against Liverpool. The Chilean winger was sent off in the 63rd minute after receiving a second yellow card for recklessly lunging at Fabinho.
Inter had scored the opening goal two minutes earlier to half the deficit in the tie (2-1). Post the sending-off, Liverpool saw off the match, knocking Inter out of the competition to enter the quarter-finals.
However, Ferdinand, who believes that the red card ended Inter's hopes of a comeback, added that it was a "stupid" sending off.
"I think the red card ended Inter’s hopes,” Ferdinand told BT Sport. "They did well to get back into the game and played better football over the two legs. They just lacked the final ball and cutting edge."
On the tackle, Ferdinand said:
“He’s won the ball, you can’t tell me he shouldn’t try and win that ball, look how low his leg is. He’s bringing his leg away, in slow motion like that it makes it look worse than it is. He’s actually going to win the ball, he’s stupid for giving the referee the chance to make a decision, but it’s harsh. Yes, it’s a foul, but I don’t believe it’s a yellow."
Liverpool's defeat might worry them going into the final stretch of the season
Although Liverpool qualified for the next round, their 1-0 defeat at Anfield will worry the Reds. They were on an extensive unbeaten run and were yet to lose a match this year.
With the chance to win the quadruple this season, Ferdinand believes momentum and defeats like this can add to the pressure on teams.
“When I look back on my time playing, momentum was massively key at this stage of the season and anything that can start throwing doubts into your minds as individuals or as a team isn’t what you need,” he explained. “You need full throttle confidence. There were elements in the game today from an offensive standpoint and off the ball that you say ‘that’s not the Liverpool I’ve come to expect," he said.
He added:
“What is a bonus for them is that they’re still in the tournament, and in the hat for the next round. I thought Liverpool would go through anyway, but in much more comfortable fashion."
