Italian media have argued that Bologna should have been given a penalty during the first half of their Serie A win over Inter yesterday evening.
Today’s print edition of Rome-based newspaper Corrirere dello Sport, via FCInterNews, argue that referee Daniele Orsato was incorrect to wave away the appeals of the Rossoblu to be given a spot kick for a handball by Nerazzurri defender Matteo Darmian.
In what was a fairly convoluted incident during the first half of yesterday’s match, Bologna thought that they had scored through striker Musa Barrow before the 24-year-old’s effort was disallowed due to midfielder Nicolas Dominguez obstructing Inter keeper Andre Onana’s view from an offside position.
However, in the immediately buildup to that disallowed goal, Inter defender Darmian had made contact with the ball in the penalty area, with the Bologna players immediately appealing for a penalty.
Referee Orsato concluded that because the shot by Rossoblu midfielder Lewis Feerguson had initially struck the leg of Darmian before deflecting onto the 33-year-old’s arm, it could not be considered a deliberate handball or a penalty.
However, in the view of the Corriere, the former Manchester United and Parma player had time to react, and given the positioning of his arm, it was still a penalty.
The newspaper suggest that Orsato interpreted the incident wrong on first viewing on the pitch, and then that he and the VAR also got it wrong by not giving a penalty on replay.
