Real Madrid qualified for their 7th consecutive Champions League semi-finals by beating Bayern 6-3 on aggregate. They became the first team in the history of the UEFA Champions League to do so but controversies surrounded the entire 2nd half of the match.
"The referee had a bad game. Full stop. He was worse than our performance." - Carlo Ancelotti
And there is no better way to put it. The referee and his assistants all but secured Real Madrid's place in the semi-finals with some appalling decision making.
Arturo Vidal did not hold back and went on an epic rant after the game slamming the referees and Real Madrid. "We were 2-1 up in the game, they got scared, and the referee began his show. You could see it. Clearly, it was very ugly. Then the usual thing happened, a player less. And we began to doubt a bit." said the Bayern midfielder.
Here's are the five most controversial decisions that changed the game completely:
#5 Minute 66 - Lewandowski wrongly called offside
Robert Lewandowski was always on the toes of Sergio Ramos and Nacho Fernandez. In the 66th minute, the Polish striker made a brilliant run behind the Madrid defence and latched on to the through ball by Boateng.
He was one on 1 with the goalkeeper with a lot of space between him and everyone else on the pitch. As he was set to push forward, the linesman had his flag up, and it was called offside.
The striker immediately pointed to Marcelo and said that he was played on by the left-back. Replays showed that the Bayern star was absolutely right and had that call not been made, the German side might have been 2-0 up.
#4 Minute 79 - Casemiro's challenge on Robben
The ending point 3 great minutes of the 2nd half. Ronaldo scored in the 76th minute but it was followed up and a dubious own goal by Sergio Ramos, 102 seconds later.
Just as the game got a lot more exciting, Casemiro ran into Robben and caught his knee. The Brazilian, who was already on a yellow card, should have received his marching orders but the referee did not pull out a card from his pocket.
The incident happened right in front of the linesman who wrongly called Lewandowski offside about 13 minutes before. The referee was also in line to see the event, but somehow, the Madrid midfielder remained on the pitch.
#3 Minute 84 - Arturo Vidal sent off
Six minutes to go, momentum is all with Bayern as they surge forward for a 3rd goal that would all but seal the game for them. All of a sudden, Real Madrid are on a counter attack with Asensio running down the wing with the ball.
Vidal charges towards him and slides in from the side. He gets the ball with ease, and the young Spaniard jumps over the legs of the Chilean but lands on the ground. Despite getting the ball, the referee gave Real Madrid a free kick and showed Vidal a yellow card.
The midfielder, who was already booked, was eventually shown the red and was given his marching orders. Bayern down to 10 men, while it should have been Madrid, about 5 minutes ago.
Also Read: UCL 2016/17: Real Madrid 4-2 Bayern Munich - The Best & The Worst Players
#2 Minute 105 - Cristiano Ronaldo scored from offside position
Sergio Ramos loops a ball into the Bayern penalty box, and it's right at the feet of Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese international controls it and lashes it in with his left foot to give Madrid the lead on aggregate.
But wait, was he offside? Replays clearly show that the Euro 2016 winner was a yard offside and yet again we come to the question, "What was the linesman doing?"
The linesman was right in line with the defence, there was no obstruction of view whatsoever, and still, he fails to make the call. Manuel Neuer is fuming and why wouldn't he?
[Gif courtesy: DeadSpin]
Also Read: UEFA Champions League 2016-17: Real Madrid 4-2 Bayern Munich (6-3 aggregate), 5 Talking Points
#1 Minute 110 - Cristiano Ronaldo's hat-trick goal
Marcelo eases past the Bayern defence like a hot knife through butter, and it's a 2-on-1 situation with Ronaldo right beside him and only Neuer to beat. The left-back knows that the Portuguese star was on a hat-trick and slips the call to him as the Bayern goalkeeper charges forward, slips and goes to ground.
Ronaldo slots home the ball with ease despite all the efforts of Mats Hummels to make a desperate attempt and stopping the ball from crossing the line but yet again; replays show that the Real Madrid forward was offside!
What's worse is that the linesman is seen in the background, at least 7-8 yards away from the position he has to be in. He was still at the edge of the penalty box when the ball was hitting the back of the net!
[Gif Courtesy: DeadSpin]
