Real Madrid 2-2 PSG: 5 Talking Points and Tactical Analysis | Champions League 2019-20

#3 VAR ultimately wins during an unpredictable affair

Courtois was shown a straight red card for his foul on Icardi, before the referee overturned his decision

VAR receives more than its fair share of criticism and sparks debate on a weekly basis when a dubious decision goes unchallenged or questionable calls aren't overturned.

So it's only right that credit is given where its due, as the technology helped avoid a match-defining situation just on the stroke of half-time. Referee Artur Soares Dias initially gave a free-kick, then a penalty, after Thibaut Courtois hauled down Mauro Icardi in the box.

But after viewing replays at the pitchside monitor, he overturned his initial decision and awarded a Real Madrid free-kick the other way - as Idrissa Gueye pushed Marcelo to the turf seconds beforehand in a tussle for possession, indirectly leading to that move.

He saw the challenge in real-time and waved play on, thinking the Brazilian had gone to ground too easily and was looking for a foul. Having seen it in retrospect though, he saw there was clear contact and no attempt by the Senegalese midfielder to play the ball, so had no choice but to overrule his previous decisions.

Had they stood, Real would have been down to ten men and conceded a penalty too. The game would've taken a dramatic turn and instead of lauding this encounter as a Champions League group stage classic, headlines would have been made for all the wrong reasons.