Referee Mateu Lahoz stunned James McFadden and Richard Foster on BBC Sportsound for ruling out Ryan Kent’s Europa League goal against Borussia Dortmund in Rangers’ win.
The Gers produced one of the greatest results in the Premiership giant’s modern history to knock BVB out of Europe. Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s surprise package finished the job in the knockout round play-off on Thursday to beat the Bundesliga outfit in a 10-goal thriller.
James Tavernier for the second successive week broke the deadlock to hand Rangers the lead as they sought to see through a 4-2 first-leg advantage. And likewise, Jude Bellingham gave Borussia Dortmund their lifeline with the England star responding nine-minutes later.
Donyell Malen also struck home for the visitors at Ibrox to put BVB within one goal of going to extra-time. But Tavernier’s back-post finish restored the Gers’ two-goal buffer to seal a last 16 spot. The draw for which takes place at UEFA’s headquarters on Friday 25 at 11:00.
BBC pundits stunned by ‘crazy’ VAR call to rule out Rangers’ Kent goal vs BVB
Rangers came close to shocking the Europa League further by beating Borussia Dortmund in both legs of their knockout round play-off. But referee Lahoz denied Kent a second-leg strike that would have restored the Gers’ lead at Ibrox, despite the help of a VAR review.
Kent took the roof of Ibrox in the 67th-minute after Alfredo Morelos rolled the ball into the winger to score. But Lahoz deemed Morelos to have fouled BVB’s Emre Can in the build-up to win possession. Even though replays suggested it was Can who kicked Morelos instead.
Lahoz stunned McFadden by ruling out Kent’s goal and Rangers’ third at home to Borussia Dortmund. The former Scotland forward saw no reason for the Gers’ goal not to count.
“There has been a lot of calls for VAR in Scottish football lately, but I cannot understand what he has seen there, it is not a foul,” McFadden fumed. “That’s a crazy decision.”
Former Rangers defender Foster was also astounded Lahoz felt Morelos fouled Can so Kent’s goal against Borussia Dortmund was illegal. But the Gers still won 6-4 on aggregate.
“That is ridiculous. It is inexcusable,” Foster added. “He has looked at it a second time after being right next to the incident, and he has still got it wrong.”
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