The Bundesliga confirmed on Wednesday in its VAR review that referee Christian-Petru Ciochirca was wrong in the 73rd minute of Rapid’s 2-0 home win once morest Red Bull Salzburg last Sunday. Instead of the goal to make it 2-0, there should have been a penalty for Salzburg.
In the 73rd minute, Rapid defender Nikolas Sattlberger brought down Salzburg striker Karim Konate in the penalty area. Rapid won the ball and scored on the counterattack through Guido Burgstaller. Rapids Fally Mayulu, who passed the pass to the goalscorer, had previously prevailed in a duel with Mads Bidstrup. While the Mayulu-Bidstrup duel can be classified as “tough but fair”, Sattlberger’s attack “would have been punished with a penalty” because the Rapid player missed the ball and hit Konate’s ankle, the Bundesliga said on Wednesday.
Wrong focus
The video assistant referee recommended that Ciochirca review the scene, which the referee also carried out. Ciochirca primarily looked at the duel on the counterattack and less intensively at the action in the Rapid penalty area. “However, the focus should have been on the action with the missed penalty,” the Bundesliga announced.
Due to the 2-0 defeat, Salzburg is four points behind Sturm Graz before the remaining two games of the season and might be dethroned on Sunday.
