Analyzing the big VAR incidents in the Champions League knockouts this season

#2 Real Madrid vs Ajax [ Disallowed goal (1st leg), a 3rd goal given (2nd leg) ]

Tadic is in Courtois' path but also the header has already connected with the ball when Courtois hit Tadic. This was an even call.

We now move onto two big decisions that the VAR gave in the Ajax vs Real Madrid tie, one in favor of and the other against the Dutch side. In the first leg of the tie at Amsterdam, Nicolas Tagliafico had apparently put Ajax ahead with his header and the stadium burst into celebration. However, their celebrations were short-lived as VAR rejected their claims for a goal.

The next decision by VAR was given in the second leg, in favor of Ajax. The Santiago Bernabeu cried foul moments after Tadic's goal which put Ajax 4-2 ahead on aggregate. The goal was reviewed by VAR for a possible throw-in that was not given. However, this time the goal stood, to Madrid's dismay, even after certain angles showed that the ball had actually crossed the line.

Verdict: Disallowed goal

First, let us look at the first decision that happened in Amsterdam. Tagliafico had headed the ball into the net perfectly, with no fouls on any defenders or the keeper while scoring. However, UEFA themselves gave a detailed explanation of why the goal wasn't given. Apparently, Dusan Tadic was in an offside position and even though he did not intervene with the goal, he was in Thibaut Courtois way of punching the ball clear. Thus, the goal wasn't given.

It is a 50/50, even though not 100% the right decision, it is not a wrong one either. It depends on how the referee sees it. If he thinks that Tadic wasn't doing anything intentionally to block Courtois or Courtois deliberately did not go around Tadic, then it would have been given. Here, as UEFA explained in their tweet, the referee saw that Tadic was interfering with Courtois' path to the ball, so he disallowed it. It is a correct decision since the referee saw it that way.

Verdict: The goal that stood in the second leg

In the second leg, Dusan Tadic scored a screamer to put the game to bed. The third goal gave Ajax a 4-2 aggregate lead and also a lead on away goals. However, then VAR came into play with a review on the goal. Possibly, the ball had rolled out of play before the build-up to the goal started.

. @ChampionsLeague x @BTBrianTaylor 💬 'THAT WAS OUT OF BOUNDS!!'😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/N2BYWvCUwJ

— FOX Sports Football (@FOXFOOTBALL) March 5, 2019

The commentator can be heard screaming that the ball had gone out of bounds. But what if we say that VAR was right to allow the goal? You heard it right. It was again, a correct decision by VAR.

The thing is, the ball is not out of bounds until it crosses the white line completely. Since it is a spherical object, a perspective view can show that it is out of bounds, while actually, it can be in bounds. Simply, from a side view it, the whole ball has crossed the white line but while viewing from the top, it would still graze the white line and that is enough to adjudge the ball inbounds.