Watch Chelsea left fuming as Marcos Alonso strike ruled out for handball in controversial VAR decision
CHELSEA were left heartbroken after VAR cruelly ruled out Marcos Alonso’s thumping effort.
Trailing 3-1 from the first-leg at Stamford Bridge, the Blues put on a Champions League masterclass at the Bernabeu as Mason Mount and Antonio Rudiger scored early in each half to level the tie on aggregate.
Thomas Tuchel and Co were in dreamland after Alonso smashed home their third.
But VAR left them shattered and furious after claiming the Spaniard had handled the ball in the build-up in a major reprieve for Real Madrid.
N’Golo Kante had collected the ball in the middle of the park, before spraying the ball wide to a rampaging Alonso on the left.
The wing-back’s initial effort was blocked by Dani Carvajal.
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But as the ball ricocheted off Carvajal it clattered into Alonso’s hip – grazing his hand in the process.
The Chelsea star thumped the ball into the top corner with his weaker right foot before charging off to celebrate – only to be left gobsmacked.
Alonso had just split-seconds to get his hand out of the way and certainly didn’t appear to have his arm in an “unnatural position” as the law demands.
Despite that, the goal was deemed to be illegal and the score reverted to 2-0 – with the tie still evenly poised at 3-3 on aggregate.
VAR got it right, says Mark Halsey
MARCOS ALONSO’S goal was correctly ruled out by VAR for handball.
The Chelsea full-back thought he had scored a third in the second half against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.
But Alonso’s right-footed effort was rightly chalked off as per Law 12: Handling the Ball after it brushed his hand in the build-up.
It was impossible for Polish referee Szymon Marciniak to see the ball had touched Alonso’s hand after his initial effort was blocked.
But the right call was made once there was a VAR check by fellow countryman Tomasz Kwiatkowski.
However, had Alonso assisted one of his team-mates the goal would have stood.
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As Chelsea looked to gather themselves and continue their charge, fans took to Twitter to vent their fury.
One tweeted: “Someone explain why VAR disallowed that Alonso goal.”
Another ranted: “GET VAR OUT OF FOOTBALL.”
A third added: “That disallowed goal for Alonso is an absolute farce… the Real players never even appealed for a handball.
“If that’s what we’re reduced to the games gone, dead and buried with VAR.”
But the agony turned to ecstasy just moments later as Timo Werner did make it 3-0.
The German cut inside from the left and rifled the ball past ex-Blues stopper Thibaut Courtois to put his side within touching distance of the Champions League semi-finals.
Real looked dead and buried only for there to be another twist in the tale as Rodrygo snatched a goal out of nowhere to once again bring the tie level at four-apiece.
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The Brazilian volleyed home a sublime Luka Modric assist with his first touch after replacing Casemiro in a bold substitution from Carlo Ancelotti.
And Karim Benzema took advantage of a Rudiger slip to head Real into the lead and send them on their way to the Champions League semis.