Clear penalty missed in Sporting v Porto, Geny fouled in the box (Video) | OneFootball

The match between Sporting and Porto, in the fourth round of Liga Portugal Betclic, was marked by a highly controversial refereeing decision. Right before halftime, Geny Catamo was brought down in the penalty area by Francisco Moura, but the referee João Gonçalves did not call any foul.

The referee from the Porto Football Association, appointed as the main official for the match, was assisted by Ângelo Carneiro and Pedro Ribeiro. The fourth official was José Bessa, while the VAR team included Rui Costa. Paulo Brás served as the AVAR. João Gonçalves did not even consult the video referee images.

The referee in question already has a history that does not benefit the Lions at all. Recall that last season, Benfica, who were competing for the title with Sporting, beat Rio Ave 3-2 in the 26th round of Liga Portugal Betclic. The Eagles were awarded a penalty, but the experts were unanimous. Even with access to the VAR images, João Gonçalves decided to invent a penalty in favor of the Eagles.

"António Silva, with both hands, blatantly pushed Clayton. A free kick should have been awarded, especially since it preceded the goal," said Jorge Coroado to the newspaper O Jogo. "At the start of the play, António Silva pushed Clayton. The Benfica player even stepped back, expecting the foul to be called. Direct free kick not awarded," said José Leirós, with Fortunato Azevedo sharing the same opinion as his two colleagues: "António Silva, with his arms on the opponent’s back, pushes and prevents Clayton from playing the ball. Foul that was not called" (Recall the controversial play HERE).

Before this Clássico, Sporting and Porto were tied for first place in the National Championship, with nine points each, just like Moreirense, who had played one more match. A possible win for Rui Borges’ team would put the green and white emblem in sole leadership of the competition.

Watch the play:

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.