Real Madrid stars will be ‘going bananas’ as Ferdinand and Owen weigh in on VAR confusion

Liverpool v Real Madrid: Champions League final pictures

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Rio Ferdinand has claimed Real Madrid stars will be “going bananas” after VAR overruled Karim Benzema’s first half goal was disallowed in the Champions League final. The Frenchman thought he had put Los Blancos ahead when he finished into Liverpool’s open goal, but after a lengthy VAR call he was deemed offside.

The BT Sport pundit said: “The ball comes off a Liverpool player and it’s deemed offside? If I’m a Real Madrid player, I’m going bananas in that changing room!”

Speaking on the BT Sport broadcast, former referee Peter Walton explained: “It’s actually an easy one. Benzema is in an offside position – the offence is committed if the ball comes back to him.

“The ball deflects off Fabinho. Because of that, Benzema is offside. If Fabinho deliberately played the ball, he is onside. However, it is a deflection, so he is offside.”

Former Manchester United defender Ferdinand added: “All I’m hearing is it might not be because it might not be intentional it’s come off Fabinho, but it’s still come off him, that’s the point.”

Michael Owen said: “It does come off a Liverpool player. I think the ball goes forward to start with, it just clips a Liverpool player then I think it remains offside. However, I’m not sure whether it takes a bounce back away from the goal and then comes off another Liverpool player and what’s the rule then?As Rio said, a very difficult one. That comes off two Liverpool players that makes me feel it could be a goal, because at the start I thought, no.”

Andrew Robertson was behind Benzema but goalkeeper Alisson was ahead of the striker when he received the ball. The VAR had to decide whether the ball was played off a Liverpool or Real Madrid player, and they adjudged it came off a Valverde and Benzema was ruled offside.

The goal came at the end of the half, after Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a stunning save to parry Sadio Mane’s effort onto the post.

UEFA confirmed in a statement that the match had to be pushed 36 minutes back due to “fans arriving to the stadium late”. However, it became clear that fans were having trouble getting in with organisation seeming to be a major problem.

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