The VAR was correct to intervene and award Inter a penalty in the first half of their 1-0 win over Juventus yesterday evening, and also correct in the decision to have the spot kick retaken.
This according to today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, who argue that the interventions by VAR were correct, although doubt remains about the appeal by Bianconeri midfielder Denis Zakaria in the second half.
Inter scored late in the first half through a penalty which only came at the end of a dramatic and convoluted sequence which saw Hakan Calhanoglu’s initial effort saved, the ball in the back of the net anyway, and then finally a retake.
In the view of the Gazzetta, it was correct for VAR official Paolo Mazzoleni to advise Massimiliano Irrati to have a second look at the original challenge by Alvaro Morata on Denzel Dumfries.
Furthermore, when the smoke cleared from the chaotic sequence from Calhanoglu’s initial saved penalty, the newspaper also argues that it was totally straightforward to decide that the penalty to be retaken due to encroachment by Matthijs de Ligt.
Meanwhile, the Gazzetta also looked at the appeal by Zakaria for a penalty after he was brought down by Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni right on the edge of the penalty area.
It was far from clear that the contact was either in or out of the box, but in the end Mazzoleni decided against intervening and allowed Irrati’s initial decision to stand.
For the Gazzetta, the Bianconeri had a strong case for a penalty to be awarded, and this was the one major doubt as far as the refereeing performance both on the pitch and in the VAR booth.
