An apology from the referee in the Bayern-Dortmund match

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A thrilling match versus Borussia Dortmund gave Bayern Munich their tenth consecutive Bundesliga title. The Allianz Arena was electrified as the two adversaries fought until the last 10 minutes. Bayern came out on top despite some questionable refereeing decisions, including a penalty not granted to Dortmund. But later, referee Daniel Siebert admitted that the penalty was correct.

Oddly enough, both calls featured Bayern’s Benjamin Pavard. Having given Benji the Meister of the Match after such perilous scenarios, here are the two times that could have gone differently.

The first in the 48th minute around the midway line. Coman deflected a Kimmich pass. Julian Brandt, who was nearby, rushed in behind Bayern’s last midfielder. Pavard dived under Brandt and dispossessed him.

To be honest, the ball leaving the Dortmund attacker’s feet looked like a clean tackle at the time. But the slow motion playback revealed a very different story. In the challenge, Pavard made no touch with the ball. His heels up tackle hit Brandt’s ankle with such force that it sailed right through to the ball on the opposite side. This cleanly sent the ball in the direction of Benji’s foot. The referee later admitted the Frenchman deserved a booking.

This was the biggest mistake of the game and I am really furious with my evaluation,” stated referee Daniel Siebert. “I’m delighted Brandt kept playing and didn’t get hurt badly.”

The second call was a penalty call that may have decided the game. Pavard was embroiled in a challenge again, but this time in the box. In the 59th minute, Benji dispossessed Jude Bellingham in the Bayern box. VAR checked it and refused it.

Benji then cleared the ball away after Pavard made contact with Jude. In this case, it felt like Bayern got away with a questionable call that favored them. I think Dortmund deserved a penalty. With a few exceptions, many of the fans on the live blog agreed.

“Pavard did not play the ball, his leg was in Bellingham’s way,” said the referee. So it was a foul. It doesn’t matter that Pavard touched the ball shortly after. A penalty kick would have been appropriate. Pavard blocked my view of the key contact. As a referee, I can only give a penalty if I clearly see a foul. If in doubt, I let the game go.”

So that’s it. Yes, it was a bad call. Yes, given Dortmund’s momentum after that equalizer, that could have changed the outcome. Changing the Bundesliga title result? Doubtful. But did it matter in this case? No way. Fans and athletes gathered for the excitement, competition, and drama of Der Klassiker. Since the Bundesliga has traditionally had superb referees, some controversial mistakes like these do drain the fun out of one side more than the other.

Since I chose Pavard for the MOTM, I feel obligated to respond to the referee’s confession. If the referee had given the penalty, I would have put Benji in the awards section. Pavard was a huge part of the defence’s success yesterday. A skillful, in-your-face tackler, he got away with more than he should have. Lucky ref calls, but not an undeserved award.

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