MX23RW : Thursday, March 7 14:23:59

VAR prevented United suffering 'injustice' defeat against PSG - Gerrard

VAR prevented United suffering 'injustice' defeat against PSG - Gerrard
© Reuters
The former Liverpool captain believes the technology helped implement the right ruling.

Steven Gerrard believes it would have been an injustice had Manchester United been denied the dramatic last-gasp penalty which gave them the 3-1 win over Paris St Germain and a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Trailing 2-0 from the first-leg at Old Trafford, the Red Devils were leading 2-1 going into injury time on Wednesday night when a VAR-awarded spot-kick after Diogo Dalot's shot struck Presnel Kimpembe on the arm allowed Marcus Rashford to fire in for a dramatic win on away goals.

There were split opinions on the award of the penalty with former Premier League official Peter Walton insisting there was no doubt, while Mark Clattenberg claimed it would not have been awarded in the domestic competition.

Marcus Rashford slammed in the penalty
Marcus Rashford slammed in the penalty (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

However, Rangers manager Gerrard, a former Liverpool captain, said: "The rules are the rules and we all have to expect that and respect it as well, because the rules are not going to change, certainly during the season.

"Listening to some of the officials commenting on it, is very interesting because they say the penalty decision was correct and the referee was correct.

"When I saw it initially I am thinking the PSG defender was very hard done by, it is very harsh on PSG but if you look at the rules it is the right decision.

"That is the reason why VAR is so important because without it, that probably gets missed and then Manchester United go out the cup which would have been nice from a Liverpool fan's point of view but it would have been an injustice."

There was a long delay inside the Parc des Princes as referee Damir Skomina consulted his pitch-side monitor before awarding the penalty but Gerrard believes the system more often than not arrives at the right decision which is why he would like to see it installed in Scottish football.

He said: "VAR gets a lot more things right and accurate which is great for the game.

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard hopes to see VAR introduced in Scottish football
Rangers manager Steven Gerrard hopes to see VAR introduced in Scottish football (Jane Barlow/PA)

"It is not nice when you are on the wrong side of one, like PSG last night but I think it is only going to improve the game.

"Speaking about officials and the support we can give officials up here in Scotland I think VAR is certainly the way forward and hopefully one day we can get it into Scottish football.

"I think it will be a big help for everyone. It will be very welcomed up here, certainly by myself because I think the percentage of getting decisions right is close to perfection. It certainly makes sense."


VAR - Click here for more stories

Click here for more stories about Steven Gerrard

Click here for more stories about Manchester United

Share this article now:
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard pictured in December 2018
Read Next:
Gerrard worried about worldwide reputation of Scottish football
>

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Select and display your favourite team's news and scores in this panel

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Select and display your favourite team's news and scores in this panel
Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City29232476205671
2Liverpool29217164154970
3Tottenham HotspurSpurs29201856302661
4Manchester UnitedMan Utd29177558382058
5Arsenal29176661392257
6Chelsea28175649301956
7Wolverhampton WanderersWolves29127103735243
8Watford29127104141043
9West Ham UnitedWest Ham29116123741-439
10Everton29107123939037
11Leicester CityLeicester29105143541-635
12Bournemouth29104153954-1534
13Crystal Palace2996143539-433
14Newcastle UnitedNewcastle2987142636-1031
15Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2886143041-1130
16Burnley2986153253-2130
17Southampton2969143249-1727
18Cardiff CityCardiff2974182557-3225
19Fulham2945202765-3817
20Huddersfield TownHuddersfield2935211551-3614

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Transfer Talk Daily
Match previews - twice weekly
Morning Briefing (7am UTC)
Ultra close-up image of Kevin De Bruyne [NOT FOR USE IN ARTICLES]Get the latest transfer news, match previews and news direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Select and display your favourite team's news and scores in this panel
Login, I already have my ad-free pass
Log in to customise Sports Mole
Buy ad-free access (show me the options)
Buy monthly ad-free access for £1.20/month
Buy yearly ad-free access for £12 (2 months free)
Settings - Logout - Manage your account
Settings - Logout - Manage your account