Barcelona referee criticised despite correct decision on Gordon penalty appeal

Barcelona were not entitled to a penalty after Anthony Gordon went down in the area during their 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao, according to refereeing analysis account Archivo VAR.

The newly signed forward had already released the ball to team-mate Raphinha before making contact with Athletic Bilbao defender Hugo Rincon. Archivo VAR said the challenge was neither reckless nor sufficient to constitute a foul, meaning the referee was correct to allow play to continue.

The account added that, because Gordon no longer had possession when the contact occurred, the incident did not meet the criteria for a penalty under the Laws of the Game.

However, Archivo VAR was highly critical of the overall officiating during the opening La Liga fixture, giving referee Ortiz Arias a rating of four out of 10 on its official website.

It said the referee delivered a disappointing performance and made several influential errors when judging key incidents. Among them, the account highlighted an incorrect application of the advantage rule after two fouls occurred at the same time.

It also said a clear booking that should have been shown to Xavi Espart was overlooked. In addition, the referee did not show Lamine Yamal a yellow card for a challenge the account described as being close to warranting a sending-off.

Archivo VAR nevertheless considered some of Ortiz Arias’ decisions to be correct, including the decision not to award Barcelona a penalty after Gordon’s fall.

The match was played at the start of both sides’ La Liga campaigns, with Barcelona securing the opening three points under manager Hansi Flick. Raphinha put the hosts ahead in the 37th minute before Fermin Lopez added a second in the 81st minute.

Barcelona produced an attacking display and created a number of opportunities, but Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Unai Simon made several saves to prevent the Catalan side from extending their lead.

The game also marked Spain international Rodri’s first appearance in a Barcelona shirt. He came on as a second-half substitute.

An additional post reproduced by the source article discussed a separate handball incident involving Javi Galan at Balaidos:

“!?️💥 ¿Hay penalti por manos de Javi Galan en Balaidos?✅ SI.👉🏻 El lateral acude a la disputa con los dos brazos por delante, impactando el balon primero en el derecho y luego en el izquierdo.▪️ Correcta decision en este caso de Sesma Espinosa sobre el cesped.pic.twitter.com/p2xnLC4EQN”

The post said the defender had gone into the contest with both arms extended in front of him, with the ball striking his right arm before his left. It described Sesma Espinosa’s decision on the pitch as correct in that case.

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