Liverpool Caught Major Break for Return Leg as Private Admission Emerges About No-Foul Call vs. PSG | OneFootball

Paris Saint-Germain created several chances but couldn’t find the back of the net, falling 1-0 to Liverpool at the Parc des Princes in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie.

The only goal of the match came late in the second half, but the most talked-about moment came midway through the first half when Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate fouled Bradley Barcola as the attacker went to the ground.

VAR reviewed the incident to see if it warranted a red card for denying a goal-scoring opportunity, but after the check, the referee allowed play to continue. However, ahead of Tuesday’s second leg at Anfield, Konate reportedly knows he shouldn’t have been on the field for this match.

Ibrahima Konate’s controversial no-foul continues to hang over tie

Julian Finney/Getty Images

Le Parisien reports (h/t Get French Football) that Konate privately admitted to those close to him that he deserved a red card for the challenge. Nonetheless, that’s a different tone from what the defender stated while speaking to Canal+.

“There was a VAR check,” Konate said. “If there was a push, like you said, I would have been shown a red card. I’m telling you that there wasn’t a foul. It’s true that I am very strong but I don’t apply power, I just put my arm. If I had put a lot more power into it then we could talk about it… but it was soft from me.”