Granit Xhaka took a swipe at referee Michael Oliver for awarding Bayern Munich a penalty against Bayer Leverkusen in their UEFA Champions League clash on Wednesday evening.
Bayern Munich took a significant step towards the Champions League quarter-finals with a 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen, but the match was not without controversy.
The pivotal moment came when referee Oliver awarded Bayern a second-half penalty, which Harry Kane converted. After the game, Xhaka vented his frustrations to the media.
The Swiss midfielder, who spent seven years in the Premier League, insisted that Oliver would not have given the same decision in England and claimed it was ‘disappointing’ to see.
‘In the Premier League, he doesn’t give that. I spent seven years there and know Michael. I’m convinced he wouldn’t whistle it in the Premier League,’ Xhaka told reporters after the game.
‘There are so many blocks in the Premier League that today it was nothing. It’s a bit disappointing from him to whistle such a penalty at this level and probably decide the game. If you give a penalty for every block, there would be so many penalties every game.’
Heading into the game, Leverkusen and Bayern were locked in a tight battle at the top of the Bundesliga, making this European clash all the more enticing.
Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen side had been the form team in Germany, while Bayern -despite boasting firepower in the form of Kane – had struggled to maintain their usual dominance.
The game began with Bayern asserting themselves early, and they took the lead in the 9th minute through Kane. A sweeping move saw Michael Olise pick up the ball on the right-hand-side before firing it into the box for the England skipper to convert.
Leverkusen responded well, with Florian Wirtz orchestrating several attacks down the left-hand-side. However, Alonso’s side were unable to capitalise and find the back of the net.
The second half remained evenly matched, with both sides showing their quality in possession before Jamal Musiala beat Matej Kovar to extend Bayern’s lead.
Then, in the 75th minute, the moment that would define the game arrived.
Tapsoba was booked for dragging Kane to the ground in the box, with a penalty being awarded to Bayern as a result.
Leverkusen’s players were incensed, surrounding the referee in protest, while Xhaka, standing nearby, threw his arms up in disbelief.
Jonathan Tah was subsequently shown a yellow card after taking it a step further and making his feelings regarding the penalty known to the referee.
A VAR check upheld the decision, and Kane stepped up to coolly dispatch the penalty, putting Bayern 3-0 ahead.
After the match, Xhaka made no attempt to hide his anger, not just at the decision itself, but at what he saw as inconsistency in officiating between leagues.
Meanwhile, Leverkusen manager Alonso, while disappointed, took a more measured approach. He said: ‘I don’t like to speak too much about referees, but it was a soft decision. We were very much in the game before that, and it changed things. But we have the second leg, and we will fight.’
