Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey has claimed that Liverpool defender Andy Robertson should have been sent off for pushing Lionel Messi in the head.
Liverpool’s chances of overcoming a 3-0 first leg deficit were slim but Jurgen Klopp’s men ran riot against Lionel Messi’s Barcelona on Tuesday night.
The Reds took the game to the Catalan giants who seemed to have no answer to Liverpool’s high intensity and Ernesto Valverde’s complacency has cost him a huge lead for the second year in a row.
A brace each for Divock Origi and Georgino Wijnaldum turned the tie around for Liverpool who now head to Madrid to face either Ajax or fellow Premier League side Tottenham in the Champions League final.
However, a lot of debate has emerged over a controversial call in the game at Anfield. Andy Robertson looked to have shoved Lionel Messi in the face in the opening exchanges of the game which was overlooked by the referee.
Writing for The Sun, ex-referee Mark Halsey believes the Scot should’ve been sent off for his actions which could potentially have changed the outcome of the tie.
Halsey also expressed his shock over VAR official Felix Zwayer’s decision to not view the incident as violent conduct and claimed that Robertson was a ‘very lucky boy’ to have stayed on the pitch.
In his column, Halsey writes: “You could argue Andy Robertson should have been sent off for pushing Lionel Messi in the head. The rule of thumb for a referee is if you strike an opponent above the neck then it is a red card offence.”
Retrospective action for the incident is highly unlikely given that VAR could have been used in the game and Robertson is expected to feature in the final on June 1st.
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