A golden rule in football is that you always play to the whistle – and Porto’s players were reminded exactly why during their crunch Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday.
During the first half of the Group H game in Portugal, Porto led thanks to a Galeno opener in the ninth minute before Shakhtar controversially equalised in rather bizarre circumstances.
With Porto defending, Shakhtar’s Oleksandr Zubkov is found with a long ball after making a darting run down the right wing, leaving him with a man to beat to get a sight at goal.
However, as Zubkov dribbles at his defender, footage shows the linesman raising his flag for offside with many of the Porto players slowing down as a result, but referee Istvan Kovacs waves play on.
The confusion then allows Zubkov to dart into the box uncontested, square the ball across the face of goal for Danylo Sikan to tap the ball into the net for an equaliser.
Porto’s players are left incensed after ref Istvan Kovacs allows Shakhtar’s equaliser to stand
Controversial moment came when the linesman flagged for offside during the visitors’ attack
Pepe (No 3) leads the protests as the referee signals that the goal has been given to Shakhtar
On commentary, Martin Tyler pointed out how play hadn’t stopped despite the linesman’s actions. He said: ‘He was wafting the flag, but I don’t think they stopped the play. Whether the flag goes up or not is irrelevant if the referee doesn’t stop the game.’
At first, it appears as if the goal has been chalked off for offside but following VAR’s intervention, the goal is controversially given.
Carnage ensues with Pepe and Co left fuming at the call, given how the linesman flagged for offside, causing them to switch off and think the ball was dead.
Several of Porto’s livid stars swarm the match official, incensed by the fact that the goal has been allowed to stand.
Protests from a number of Porto’s players earned them bookings as tempers boiled over at Estado do Dragao.
The controversial moment didn’t end up affecting the result as they went on to seal an emphatic 5-3 win over the Ukrainian side.
Porto captain Pepe angrily confronts the match official after the goal is given by VAR
Following the controversial equaliser, Porto managed to pick themselves up and double their lead, with Galeno getting his second of the game before half-time.
The Portuguese side doubled their advantage when Mehdi Taremi lashed into the roof of the net, but Shakhtar hit back through Stephen Eustakio’s own goal.
Porto sealed victory in the 76th minute when Pepe stabbed home and added another through Francisco Conceicao before Eguinaldo knocked in a late consolation for the Ukrainian team.
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