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Serie A leaders Juventus went sixteen points clear at the top of the league table after establishing a dramatic 2-1 win over Napoli on Sunday.
Miralem Pjanic and Emre Can found the net to secure not only the standard three points, but also an inevitable domestic title.
Besides a late missed penalty, the game saw two red cards being given to players from both teams. Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret got his marching orders in the 25th minute, allowing the Bianconeri to race to a 2-0 lead at half-time. While Miralem Pjanic was also shown a red early in the second half, it was the first that caught the attention of fans.
When Kevin Malcuit's pass was intercepted by Cristiano Ronaldo in the 25th minute, Meret came out of the penalty area to bring down the Portuguese.
Controversially, the referee did not review the incident before awarding the red card despite replays suggesting that there was no contact in the challenge.
While the second red allowed Napoli to close the gap on the Old Lady, the sole Jose Callejon goal was not enough for them to rescue a point.
When asked about the decision, Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said (via ESPN), "The rules, as I understand them, say that Meret should be sent off whether he makes contact or not. The referee decided, as did the video assistant."
Napoli manager Carlo Ancelotti, on the other hand, said the referee should have taken a look at the replays.
"The game was influenced by a controversial decision -- did Meret touch him or not, which direction was the ball going? It would have been easier if the referee had looked on the monitor, given that it is there."
Twitter has since erupted with reactions to the controversial incident:
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