Mats Hummels, a defender for Borussia Dortmund, criticized the controversial penalty decision as a farce in the Champions League match against PSV.

Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels has taken to social media to express his frustration with the officials after a controversial penalty decision in their UEFA Champions League match against PSV Eindhoven. The Bundesliga club managed to secure a 1-1 draw, with Luuk de Jong’s penalty cancelling out Donyell Malen’s deflected effort in the first half.

The incident occurred when Dortmund were leading 1-0, as Hummels was adjudged to have brought down Malik Tillman in the penalty area. Despite Hummels protesting that he had touched the ball, the referee did not consult the VAR and stuck with his original decision.

Following the match, the 35-year-old defender took to Twitter to vent his frustrations at the decisions that have gone against his team in recent years. He described the penalty decision as a “joke” and expressed disbelief at the inconsistency of VAR in matches against Chelsea, PSG, and now PSV.

In the post-match analysis, TNT pundits Glenn Hoddle and Joleon Lescott agreed that the VAR should have intervened and sent the on-field official to the screen for a second look. Hoddle argued that there was a touch on the ball before the follow-through that brought the player down, making it a 50-50 call that could have been clarified with the use of technology.

Lescott also believed that it was the wrong decision to award a penalty and emphasized the importance of the referee reviewing all available angles. He argued that the referee should have the opportunity to make the right decision based on his own judgment, rather than relying solely on the VAR’s input.

Both pundits agreed that Hummels had made enough contact with the ball to suggest it was not a penalty. They highlighted that the contact occurred on the trailing leg of both players and questioned the expectation for Hummels to move out of the way after making a tackle.

Overall, the controversy surrounding the penalty decision has sparked debate about the role of VAR in ensuring fair and accurate officiating in football matches.