European Super Football

VAR: What is it good for? Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology has been a controversial addition to football matches since its introduction in the UK.  Those in favour of the technology believe that VAR has helped ensure fair play by reviewing crucial decisions like goals, penalties, and red card incidents. It was essentially brought in to reduce human error and increase the accuracy of refereeing decisions. However, critics often point out the disruptions caused by VAR reviews. They say this slows down the pace of the game and diminishes the spontaneity and emotional intensity of football. Many fans and players have expressed frustration with VAR's impact on the flow of matches and the subjective nature of some decisions. What is the debate focused on?  The debate has now been going on for four years. Back in 2020, then SkySports pundit Danny Murphy argued against it. The footage below is from the SkySports YouTube account. It has become an integral part of moder...

Wolves 1 - 2 Manchester City The Premier League champions secured their sixth win in eight games this season with a 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday. Author - Sean M The match ended in controversy when John Stones scored a dramatic header in the 95th minute from Phil Foden’s corner. Initially, the goal was disallowed for offside, but after a VAR review, referee Chris Kavanagh reversed the decision, allowing the goal to stand, much to Wolves' frustration. Earlier in the match, Josko Gvardiol equalised for the hosts after Jorgen Strand Larsen had given Wolves the lead. Unfortunately for Wolves, they remain winless this season and currently sit at the bottom of the Premier League table. What happened then? In the final seconds of stoppage time, Foden delivered a corner kick that Stones headed powerfully into the net.  However, as the Manchester City players celebrated, the linesman raised his flag to signal an offside, noting that Bernardo Silva was standing in fro...

Germany 2 - 0 Denmark Euro 2024 hosts Germany advanced to the quarter-finals by defeating Denmark.  The game at Borussia Dortmund's Westfalenstadion was dramatically interrupted for about 20 minutes towards the end of the first half due to a spectacular storm, with lightning illuminating the sky and hail and heavy rain drenching the pitch. Current scenes in Dortmund. #EURO2024 https://t.co/gJjIQ72CSW pic.twitter.com/ZrhJuu9ukM — European Super Football (@ESFootballNews) June 29, 2024 Several crucial video assistant referee (VAR) decisions were to have a huge impact on what happened next. Germany's Nico Schlotterbeck had previously had a header ruled out by VAR, and Denmark saw Joachim Andersen’s goal disallowed in the second half due to Thomas Delaney being marginally offside. Germany celebrated when another VAR decision went in their favour, leading to referee Michael Oliver awarding a penalty for handball against the unfortunate Andersen. You'd have to argue that it p...

Celtic 2 - 0 Hearts Celtic maintained their perfect start to the season as both sides faced contrasting outcomes with VAR for the champions and Hearts. Early in the match, the visitors were initially awarded a penalty in the first half after Lawrence Shankland's header struck Liam Scales' arm. However, the decision was overturned after a VAR review. In the second half, a cross from Nicolas Kuhn made contact with James Penrice's hand, leading to another VAR review. This time, the result was a penalty, and record signing Arne Engels scored his first goal for Celtic from the spot. To seal the victory, Luke McCowan also scored his first goal for Celtic with a late strike.  What about Hearts? Hearts find themselves one point behind at the bottom of the Scottish Premiership. This was an improved performance from the visitors, but the match ultimately ended in a seventh straight defeat in all competitions. Referee Colin Steven had been quick to point to the spot after the Sca...

 Arsenal 3 - 1 Manchester United At the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal scored twice in stoppage time to secure a dramatic victory over Manchester United. United thought they had snatched three points before VAR ruled Alejandro Garnacho's 88th-minute finish offside. Limbs. pic.twitter.com/JiDMV59yiO — Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 4, 2023 The drama then switched to the other end when Declan Rice's deflected shot gave Arsenal the lead, then substitute Gabriel Jesus raced clear to seal the victory as the stadium erupted in celebration. Christian Eriksen 's outstanding pass found Marcus Rashford, who cut inside to send an unerring right-foot shot past Arsenal keeper Aaron Ramsdale in the 27th minute. Odegaard's emphatic finish into the bottom corner immediately leveled the match for the Gunners. Arsenal - who had a penalty overturned by the VAR after referee Anthony Taylor initially ruled Havertz fouled - missed a glorious late opportunity when Bukayo Saka shot straight at...

Semi-final first leg: Real Madrid 1 - 1 Manchester City A screamer from Kevin de Bruyne earned Manchester City a Champions League semi-final first-leg draw at Real Madrid. Manchester City know that any win at home against Madrid will send them to only their second Champions League final, against either Inter Milan or AC Milan. Will Manchester City win The Treble this season? Click here to read all the latest news and stories from The Etihad Stadium. Let's now explore all the best reaction. Luka Modric said: “We put in a good performance, the tie is still open." Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti added: "We deserved to win it.” 🏁 FT: @realmadriden 1-1 @ManCity ⚽ @vinijr 36'; De Bruyne 67' #UCL pic.twitter.com/OlMvSwn2tI — Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) May 9, 2023 One Twitter user replied: " Happy that we stopped Haaland. However, we could have done better. Lets hope for the best in the second-leg." Andy is a City fan who is conflicted...

 Arsenal 1 - 1 Brentford What impact could this match have at the end of the season? Read on to reach your own conclusion Leandro Trossard scored his first goal for Arsenal but the Premier League leaders missed the chance to move eight points clear at the top as Ivan Toney earned resilient Brentford a deserved point. Mixed feelings... Proud to score my first as a Gunner but gutted with the draw 🔴⚪ @Arsenal pic.twitter.com/wdDsvlNXbg — Leandro Trossard (@LTrossard) February 11, 2023 After a goalless first half in which the Bees hit the woodwork through Toney, the home side took the lead when Trossard struck at the back post four minutes after coming off the bench. The Bees got the equaliser that they probably deserved when Ivan Toney nodded in Christian Norgaard's cross from close range. Has this dented Arsenal's title chances? Who knows? They didn't look at their best in this game and will be concerned that they didn't take the three points from this match. DJ, a...

Bournemouth 1-1 West Ham United Enes Unal’s breathtaking free-kick salvaged a deserved 1-1 draw for Bournemouth against West Ham, after Lucas Paquetá’s controversial penalty—awarded by VAR—put the visitors ahead. Author - Jamie P Unal stepped up from nearly 30 yards out to unleash a powerful strike that left Lukasz Fabianski rooted to the spot, bringing relief to the home crowd following a contentious handball decision that had moments earlier gone against the Cherries. Bournemouth had piled on the pressure since the break, firing off 17 shots in total, but looked to be heading for frustration as West Ham’s resolute defence held firm. Then came a stroke of fortune for the Hammers, who broke the deadlock via a contentious penalty decision. Nicklas Füllkrug’s header was comfortably saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga, but VAR official Michael Salisbury spotted a potential handball by Tyler Adams from Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross. After a lengthy review and a trip to the pitch-side monitor by ref...

 West Ham United 1 - 1 Aston Vila Tomas Soucek came agonisingly close to securing a thrilling victory for West Ham, but fate had other plans as they had to settle for a single point against Aston Villa at London Stadium. In the dying moments of added time, Soucek believed he had clinched the win for the Hammers, connecting with James Ward-Prowse's free-kick. However, his jubilation was short-lived as VAR intervened, ruling out the goal due to a handball. Aston Villa, vying for a spot in the Champions League , found their saving grace in Nicolo Zaniolo, who equalised in the 79th minute. With a precise finish, Zaniolo capitalised on Moussa Diaby's well-placed pass into the box, notching his second league goal for Villa. Premier League news and stories: 2023/2024 Michail Antonio initially gave West Ham the lead with a splendid diving header, his first Premier League goal since August. However, his joy was tempered when a second goal was disallowed for handball early in the sec...

Liverpool 2 - 1 Chelsea Arne Slot's outstanding start as Liverpool manager continued as his side saw off a clearly improved Chelsea at Anfield. Author - Katrine Jonnson  Chelsea are now winless in their last ten matches against Liverpool, including losses in the Carabao Cup final and FA Cup final in 2022, both decided by penalties, along with a defeat at Wembley in extra time last season. Slot is the first Liverpool boss to win 10 of his first 11 games, with this latest victory putting them a point clear of  Manchester City after their dramatic stoppage-time win at Wolves. A closer look at what happened Mohamed Salah gave Liverpool the lead after 29 minutes, converting a penalty following Levi Colwill’s foul on Curtis Jones.  Just before half-time, Liverpool were awarded a second penalty when Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez brought down Jones, but after initially being given by referee John Brooks, the decision was overturned by VAR. #LIVCHE – 45+2’ VAR OVERTURN ...

Croatia 2 - 1 Scotland Scotland's wait for a victory in their Nations League campaigns continues, as Croatia came from behind in Zagreb to extend Steve Clarke’s team’s 13-month drought in competitive matches. Author - Liam C Despite missing key players and having just one win in their last 14 games, Scotland put up a strong fight in a tense encounter. They thought they had secured a dramatic equaliser in the 95th minute when Kristijan Jakic scored an own goal, but it was ruled out for offside against Che Adams after a VAR review. The match had begun promisingly for Scotland, with Ryan Christie slotting in the opening goal after a cross from Ben Doak was inadvertently teed up by Luka Sucic. However, the lead was short-lived, as Igor Matanovic guided Ivan Perisic's cutback into the bottom corner just four minutes later, levelling the score before half-time. Croatia took control in the second half, and Scotland's defence finally gave way in the 70th minute. Craig Gordo...

England  1 - 0 Haiti In their opening Women's World Cup game against Haiti, England did what they needed to do - win. The European champions were lacklustre and wasteful in their 1-0 victory, struggling to put away the chances they created while looking occasionally sloppy in defence. Haiti proved why they are in Australia among the 32 best teams in the world with a fearless performance that tested Sarina Wiegman's side. Georgia Stanway's penalty gave England a crucial three points - and it was just the third time in six World Cup appearances they had won their first match. Women's World Cup: Spain and Switzerland start with a win (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Women's World Cup: Preview (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Their most recent matches were against Portugal and Australia, and they did little to generate momentum against Haiti. There were 44,000 people in attendance, including many ex-pats living in Brisbane, supporting the English team, but Haiti did...

Manchester United 1 - 0 Aston Villa Scott McTominay's early header proved enough for Manchester United to beat Aston Villa at Old Trafford. McTominay was allowed to run into the Villa six-yard box, where he met Fred's superb cross to steer the ball past Emiliano Martinez. This meant Villa boss and former Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard faced an unhappy return to Manchester, where he was baited by the home supporters. Some have argued that the result was harsh on Gerrard and his Villa side.  VAR controversy The controversial moment of the game came with an offside and VAR decision in the second-half.  Villa put the ball in the back of the net but what followed was a lengthy wait for the video assistant referee to ask Michael Oliver to make the final decision by consulting the screen. After a delay of several minutes, the referee eventually ruled Jacob Ramsey was offside, saying that he had impeded Edinson Cavani in the build-up. What did you think of the decision? Watch...

Brighton & Hove Albion 1 - 1 Southampton  Brighton and Hove Albion were left frustrated as they missed the chance to secure a home win against bottom-of-the-table Southampton. Author - Mark Lee Kaoru Mitoma made the most of some sloppy defending by the Saints, heading Brighton into the lead midway through the first half. A win would have closed the gap to six points behind league leaders Liverpool. However, Flynn Downes levelled the score for Southampton with a powerful strike just before the hour mark, denying Brighton the victory. The Internet responds to VAR controversy This video was uploaded by YouTuber Ronald Collante.  As the video above suggests, one point could have so easily been three for Southampton. After the match, Southampton boss Russell Martin was furious. He spoke with the media at full-time and said that VAR is a "big problem" if goals like this against Brighton are being disallowed. So, what actually happened? Southampton’s Cameron Archer appe...

Manchester United 2 - 0 Brighton & Hove Albion There's no place quite like it ❤️ #MUFC | #PhotoOfTheDay pic.twitter.com/EUy93lvyt4 — Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 16, 2022 There was a massive sense of relief at Old Trafford as Manchester United battled to a much-needed win over Brighton.  The three points have their hopes of a top-four finish a huge boost. You can watch the highlights of the match in the video below. Footage from the Manchester United YouTube channel.  Manchester United - YouTube Key Talking Points United's goals came in the second half and were scored by Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes. Brighton's Lewis Dunk was sent off for denying a goal-scoring opportunity. Did VAR and the referee eventually get to the correct decision? Dermot Gallagher looks at the red card given to Brighton captain Lewis Dunk against Man Utd 👀 🎥 #RefWatch pic.twitter.com/6TbtDnwN6E — Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 16, 2022  One Twit...

Crystal Palace 0 - 0 Everton The FA Cup third round weekend started with a rather boring 0-0 draw between Palace and Everton. The game wasn't without controversy though. Everton have lodged an appeal against the red card given to Dominic Calvert-Lewin during their goalless draw against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup third-round.  If the appeal is unsuccessful, Calvert-Lewin could miss not only the third-round replay but also upcoming Premier League fixtures against Aston Villa and Fulham. The striker is facing a three-match ban due to his dismissal following a sliding challenge on Nathaniel Clyne, as determined by a VAR review during the second half. More VAR news and stories Referee Chris Kavanagh initially did not award a free-kick, but after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor, he deemed there was enough contact with Clyne's shin to warrant Calvert-Lewin's dismissal. Magic of the FA Cup: 2023/2024 (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Calvert-Lewin, who hasn...

 FC Copenhagen 4 - 3 Manchester United VAR stole the spotlight again Stadium - Parken On a wild night in Copenhagen, fans witnessed seven goals, two spot-kicks, a game-altering red card, a protester causing a stir, and a thrilling last-minute winner courtesy of a 17-year-old substitute.  Goal. FC Copenhagen make it 4-3. #MUFC || #UCL — Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 8, 2023 Amidst the chaos reminiscent of Monday's madness at Tottenham, video technology played a pivotal role in crucial decisions that impacted Manchester United's fate in the Champions League. Manager Erik ten Hag believed that VAR's intervention in dismissing Marcus Rashford for a challenge on Elias Jelert was a "game-changer," and it's tough to dispute that claim. Referee Donatas Rumsas was summoned to the pitchside monitor twice more, awarding penalties to both sides for handballs, described as soft by most people.  UCL: Emotional and dramatic night at Old Trafford (eurosuperfootba...

Everton 2 - 2 Manchester United Manchester United mounted a late fightback before being rescued by VAR, avoiding a deeper crisis with a dramatic draw against Everton at Goodison Park. Author - Olivia T  Stadium - Goodison Park Everton, revitalised under returning manager David Moyes, looked set to continue their resurgence as they dominated the first half, deservedly taking a two-goal lead. United were exposed time and again in those opening 45 minutes. Beto capitalised on a goalmouth scramble to score his fifth goal under Moyes in the 19th minute, before Abdoulaye Doucoure doubled the lead with a towering header. The second goal was one to forget for Harry Maguire. The United defender reacted sluggishly after André Onana had parried Jack Harrison’s shot, allowing Doucoure to rise above him and nod the ball into the net. Premier League: 2024/2025 season Click here for more Manchester United news Everton remained in control until the 72nd minute when Bruno Fernandes curled in a ...

We can confirm that Rangers have sacked manager Philippe Clement This announcement came 24 hours after an awful result and performance against St Mirren. Keep reading for more information on what was a bad day at Ibrox.  - Rangers 0 - 2 St Mirren Rangers' turbulent season took another downward turn as St Mirren claimed a famous victory in Glasgow, marking their first back-to-back league wins over the Ibrox side since the 1979-80 campaign. Author - Mark Lee Stadium - Ibrox Mikael Mandron put the visitors ahead six minutes into the second half, sparking wild celebrations after his initially disallowed goal was awarded following a VAR review by referee Kevin Clancy. Substitute Toyosi Olusanya then sealed the win in style, curling home a superb effort with 20 minutes to go, lifting the Paisley club into the Scottish Premiership’s top six. The defeat – coming just a fortnight after Rangers' Scottish Cup humiliation at the hands of Queen’s Park – was their first in 10 league ma...

Manchester City 2 - 3 Tottenham Hotspur Let's have a look at all the reaction after Harry Kane's stoppage-time goal gave Tottenham a stunning victory over Premier League leaders Manchester City. The blues thought they had rescued a point moments earlier when Riyad Mahrez converted a penalty awarded after a VAR review, but there was another twist to come and Kane, predictably, provided it. The Spurs striker, whom City had tried to sign in the summer, rose highest to nod home Dejan Kulusevski's cross in the 95th minute and spark wild celebrations from the travelling fans. ------------ The video below gives an interesting into the day from a Tottenham supporters perspective. ------------ It was a crazy end to a fascinating match that saw Spurs pegged back twice, with City running out of time to find a third equaliser. Tottenham's first goal came after only four minutes. Son Heun-min beating the offside trap and squaring the ball for Kulusevski to score on his first sta...