Karim Benzema appeared to give Real Madrid the lead near the end of the first half of the Champions League final.
Amid a scramble in the area, Benzema picked up a rebound, firing a low shot past Alisson.
Madrid had very little of the play in the first half but looked like it had secured a vital lead just before the half. However, the assistant referee lifted his flag after the ball went in, resulting in an initial call of offside.
VAR came in from there, and after a nearly four-minute review, referee Clement Turpin stuck with the initial decision and the match entered the break scoreless.
BENZEMA WITH THE BALL IN THE NET. …But he's ruled offside. 😲 pic.twitter.com/obMLUwCQBF
— Champions League final on CBS & Paramount+ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 28, 2022
Why was the goal called back?
The relevant passage from the Laws of the Game is from Law 11:
A player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent who deliberately plays the ball, including by deliberate handball, is not considered to have gained an advantage, unless it was a deliberate save by any opponent.
Benzema was initially denied by Alisson, and as play went on, ended up with only Andy Robertson between him and the goal, leaving him offside.
The refereeing crew then had to consider whether the tackles of Fabinho and Ibrahima Konaté, both trying to deny Federico Valverde in the aftermath, were deliberate attempts to play the ball. If they had been seen as deliberate, then Benzema only having one opposing player between him and goal would be irrelevant.
However, the lengthy VAR examination apparently determined it was not a deliberate attempt, chalking off the goal in what could be an absolutely vital decision in this final.
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