Expert reviews key moments from Benfica v Arouca: penalty was very... | OneFootball

Iturralde González, a refereeing specialist, analyzed the incidents that marked the match between Benfica and Arouca, where the Eagles won by a landslide. According to the former Spanish referee, the VAR performed well in its interventions regarding the penalties awarded to the Eagles, stressing that these were clear and well-made decisions.

At the invitation of the newspaper Record, the former Spanish referee analyzed the main incidents of matchday 10, including the Eagles’ clash. “It’s a very clear penalty. The player raises his right arm to a horizontal position, increasing his body volume and occupying space through which the ball passes,” Iturralde González began by explaining.

“The only issue here—and this is not just with Portuguese referees—is that, in the past, referees used to spot this type of play more often. It’s such a clear penalty that there was no need to resort to VAR,” the specialist added, analyzing Hélder Carvalho’s performance.

Regarding the second penalty, following a foul on Gianluca Prestianni, the Spaniard had no doubts about the decision: “It’s a situation that leaves no room for doubt. The defender, instead of playing the ball, hits the opponent. He tries to go for the ball but ends up hitting the Benfica player’s left leg and bringing him down.”

Furthermore, Iturralde González once again criticized Hélder Carvalho’s approach: “There are plays that the referee cannot see and must be assisted, but not in this case. In this job, he is paid to see, and an elite referee like this one should not have missed these penalties. Even without VAR.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.