Liverpool 0-3 Barcelona: Should Messi have seen red for Fabinho ‘punch’?
Liverpool lost 3-0 to Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final, but should Lionel Messi have seen red for his ‘punch’ on Fabinho?
Footage appears to show the Reds midfielder going down after Messi swings an arm in his direction during the disappointing European defeat.
The Argentine went unpunished for his elite level grousing and proceeded to slam the resulting free-kick straight into the top bin in a devastating double whammy.
Messi is a top player and knows the Champions League inside out. He also knows his game inside out and subjected Liverpool to a real masterclass performance.
And while Fabinho handled him well in stages throughout the tie, there were moments when the wizard got the better of Fab and this was one of them.
Had the referee seen the incident would he have responded with a red or yellow card? It certainly seems like Messi swings at his marker as the forward jumps towards Fabinho – but in real time it would have been less clear. For legal reasons we can’t show you the video, but you can see it by following this link.
Either way, we’ve seen incidents like this go punished and in this new VAR age of football it’ll get more and more difficult to rough up the opposition discreetly.
Imagine how tough it must be trying to stop Messi doing is best against you. Not only does he have a telepathic connection with the football, but he also doesn’t mind taking you to the nasties either.
It actually speaks to Fabinho’s skill, energy and ability that the Barcelona legend had to resort to tactics like this. We all know that Fab initially struggled on Merseyside but has since thrived.
Next. How did Fabinho do against Barca? Read our player ratings here!. dark
Liverpool will need his full range of passing and movement if they’re to cause one of the greater upsets in the competition’s history when the two sides meet again, and you can be sure Fabinho won’t forget that one in a hurry.