Liverpool Rescue Draw Against Atletico Madrid After Phantom Penalty

When Steven Gerrard collided with Atletico Madrid’s Mariano Pernia in the third minute of injury time at Anfield Tuesday night, was Swedish referee Martin Hansen’s decision to award a penalty influenced by the deafening cry from The Kop? Or was it to compensate for the incident that Hansen failed to call in the first half when an Atletico player handled the ball?

The shock decision by Hansen to award the penalty resulted in Gerrard stepping up to score to make it 1-1 for both sides.

The controversial decision and resulting goal were a cruel blow for Atletico who deserved to hold on for a win in this match. But it was Gerrard’s decision to fling himself at the ball knowing that Pernia was going to collide with him that earned Liverpool the penalty. If you watch Pernia on replay, he kept his eye on the ball until the last split second where he saw Gerrard flying in at him. The ricochet from the bodies sent Gerrard tumbling to the ground, and Hansen pointed to the spot.

Was the penalty a poor decision, or did you see something that I missed? Add your feedback by clicking the comments link below.