Group H is probably the tightest group in this 2020/21 UCL campaign. PSG, Man United & RB Leipzig are all tied at 9 points, with 1 last round to go. Anything can happen.
Man United and PSG faced each other in what turned to be a very scrappy and nervous match, with the French side taking home the three points and the vital away win.
Orsato had a few interesting episodes to deal with, although his performance wasn’t one of his best, with few rough challenges unpunished. Let’s have a look at some main incidents.
In the 5th minute Neymar makes it 1-0 for PSG. Neymar is clearly onside, but the interesting fact is that his teammate Kean was just onside. It was a really close call correctly judged by the refereeing team. Even if Kean was offside, he didn’t interfere with play or with an opponent as he left the ball to Neymar, so he wouldn’t have been punishable and the goal would have still been allowed.
Unfortunately there wasn’t any better frame of the incident, but you can see Diallo’s hand near Bruno Fernandes’ face.
This was a pivotal moment in the first half. Fred (MU), committed 3 fouls in the first 10’ of the game, displaying a very aggressive and nervous approach to the match.
In the 22’ there was an incident between a Diallo (PSG) and Bruno Fernandes (MU): the PSG defender, while challenging for the ball, brushed his opponent’s face with his forearm/hand. The challenge didn’t have any real force, but was enough to warrant a free kick for MU. The referee let play go and PSG put the ball out for a throw in.
The missed free kick sparked some dissent from the MU players, Fred and Paredes said something to each other before getting head to head.
Orsato couldn’t see the incident as it happened behind his back, so VAR got involved and correctly recommended and OFR (On Field Review) for a potential straight red card for violent conduct, as per protocol expects VAR to do for serious missed incidents.
After the incident, there was a mass confrontation as PSG players faced MU players to support their teammates. Orsato quickly defused the situation and, once VAR recommended the OFR, took only 3 seconds to make a decision after reviewing the incident on screen. The Italian awarded a Yellow Card to Fred for Unsporting Behaviour - our assumption is lack of respect for the game for behaving in an inflammatory manner - despite many expecting a red card for violent conduct.
The image above shows how Paredes initially approaches Fred and puts his head on the Brazilian’s head, but without any use of excessive force or brutality . Then Fred reiterates and performs what looks something like a head-brush more than a headbutt.
This is a really particular incident. A red card would have been an easy decision to sell as any time there is head-to-head contact, football expectation is generally a send off. However, as this wasn’t a full force headbutt, a yellow card can definitely be supported, especially seen the temperature and time in the match. For example, in this game it was the 22nd minute, and Orsato must have decided that a red card wasn’t necessary and this could be managed as his interpretation was this is not violent conduct.
Another option to approach this incident, could have been to review the incident, call both player away from the rest of the teams, award both a yellow card for unsporting behaviour and warn both players publicly so to better sell the caution. Paredes had to be cautioned either way as he was the initiator of the confrontation.
15 minutes after the previous incident, the same two players were involved in another incident.
Fred is chasing the ball while in possession, Paredes slides in winning the challenge, and then Fred stomps on his opponent foot hitting him with his studs. This should have been a second yellow card for Fred for a reckless tackle, considering the speed and point of contact of the challenge.
However, Orsato misinterpreted the incident and cautioned the PSG player for a reckless tackle.
VAR could not get involved in this situation as this was not a case of mistaken identity of serious missed incident, but a simple caution.
This match had a few duels, one of them being Scott McTominay (MU) vs Neymar (PSG). In the 41’ the two collide but no offence was committed. As the Englishman was falling down, he accidentally stomped on Neymar’s foot with his stud. The contact was totally accidental and unexpected as the MU player was falling, tripped by Neymar, who was sitting on the pitch. No need for any sanction.
No longer than 1 minutes later, the same two players had another go at each other again. McTominay challenged Neymar, holding him and pushing. The Brazilian had a light reaction, and was then awarded a free kick for a clear hold by his opponent.
Orsato did well in this instance, after awarding the free kick he approached McTominay and had a quiet word with him to make manage the situation.
However, the MU player committed another foul on Neymar just another minute after, in yet another duel.
Again, Orsato correctly awarded a free kick, but this time he was seen talking to Neymar in an effort to control the situation and manage both players as they were both clearly challenging each other.
In the 58th minute there was a serious of episodes that led to Verratti (PSG) getting cautioned for Stopping a Promising Attack (SPA).
However, the yellow card came after two incidents that the referee should have stopped play for. Let’s have a look at them in order.
At the beginning of this play, Martial uses his arm as a tool to jump and pass the ball to Cavani. He hits Marquinhos recklessly in the face. This should have been a free kick for PSG, and a yellow card for the MU attacker.
At the same time, Martial’s pass ends up to Cavani who is in an offside position. The lines of the field of play really help us in this situation to identify that the MU striker is in an offside position that becomes punishable once he interferes with play by playing the ball.
An indirect free kick for PSG could have been awarded if the previous offence wasn’t identified.
Finally, Martial runs towards PSG’s goal and gets pulled down by Verratti, who is cautioned for SPA. Martial had clear possession of the ball, the direction of play was towards the opponents goal, there was 4 defenders vs 3 attackers + 1 more coming to support play from behind, hence this being a promising attack.
In the occasion of the second PSG goal, we have to praise the AR1 Giallantini for 2 fantastic no-offside decisions in close succession.
On the initial shot, it is clear that two MU players are keeping 3 PSG player onside.
Despite the still being obvious, this happened very quickly and the Giallantini correctly kept his flag down.
The PSG player at the bottom of the screen is the one who received the ball after his teammate shot, and passed it to Marquinhos in the middles of the Goal Area.
This was a matter of millimetres , but the MU players kept all PSG players on as we can see from these images:
The moment of the pass from an angle.
VAR’s images confirming the onside position.
Just a minute after PSG took the lead, and Fred was finally sent off after getting lucky in more than one situation.
The MU midfielder tackled Herrera with high speed, hitting him with body on his knee, which resulted in a yellow card for a reckless tackle.
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Man United and PSG faced each other in what turned to be a very scrappy and nervous match, with the French side taking home the three points and the vital away win.
Orsato had a few interesting episodes to deal with, although his performance wasn’t one of his best, with few rough challenges unpunished. Let’s have a look at some main incidents.
5’ - PSG Goal
In the 5th minute Neymar makes it 1-0 for PSG. Neymar is clearly onside, but the interesting fact is that his teammate Kean was just onside. It was a really close call correctly judged by the refereeing team. Even if Kean was offside, he didn’t interfere with play or with an opponent as he left the ball to Neymar, so he wouldn’t have been punishable and the goal would have still been allowed.
Unfortunately there wasn’t any better frame of the incident, but you can see Diallo’s hand near Bruno Fernandes’ face.
23’ - Yellow Card for Fred, MU
This was a pivotal moment in the first half. Fred (MU), committed 3 fouls in the first 10’ of the game, displaying a very aggressive and nervous approach to the match.
In the 22’ there was an incident between a Diallo (PSG) and Bruno Fernandes (MU): the PSG defender, while challenging for the ball, brushed his opponent’s face with his forearm/hand. The challenge didn’t have any real force, but was enough to warrant a free kick for MU. The referee let play go and PSG put the ball out for a throw in.
The missed free kick sparked some dissent from the MU players, Fred and Paredes said something to each other before getting head to head.
Orsato couldn’t see the incident as it happened behind his back, so VAR got involved and correctly recommended and OFR (On Field Review) for a potential straight red card for violent conduct, as per protocol expects VAR to do for serious missed incidents.
After the incident, there was a mass confrontation as PSG players faced MU players to support their teammates. Orsato quickly defused the situation and, once VAR recommended the OFR, took only 3 seconds to make a decision after reviewing the incident on screen. The Italian awarded a Yellow Card to Fred for Unsporting Behaviour - our assumption is lack of respect for the game for behaving in an inflammatory manner - despite many expecting a red card for violent conduct.
The image above shows how Paredes initially approaches Fred and puts his head on the Brazilian’s head, but without any use of excessive force or brutality . Then Fred reiterates and performs what looks something like a head-brush more than a headbutt.
This is a really particular incident. A red card would have been an easy decision to sell as any time there is head-to-head contact, football expectation is generally a send off. However, as this wasn’t a full force headbutt, a yellow card can definitely be supported, especially seen the temperature and time in the match. For example, in this game it was the 22nd minute, and Orsato must have decided that a red card wasn’t necessary and this could be managed as his interpretation was this is not violent conduct.
Another option to approach this incident, could have been to review the incident, call both player away from the rest of the teams, award both a yellow card for unsporting behaviour and warn both players publicly so to better sell the caution. Paredes had to be cautioned either way as he was the initiator of the confrontation.
38’ - Yellow card for Parades, PSG
15 minutes after the previous incident, the same two players were involved in another incident.
Fred is chasing the ball while in possession, Paredes slides in winning the challenge, and then Fred stomps on his opponent foot hitting him with his studs. This should have been a second yellow card for Fred for a reckless tackle, considering the speed and point of contact of the challenge.
However, Orsato misinterpreted the incident and cautioned the PSG player for a reckless tackle.
VAR could not get involved in this situation as this was not a case of mistaken identity of serious missed incident, but a simple caution.
41’ - 1 on 1 McTominay v Neymar
This match had a few duels, one of them being Scott McTominay (MU) vs Neymar (PSG). In the 41’ the two collide but no offence was committed. As the Englishman was falling down, he accidentally stomped on Neymar’s foot with his stud. The contact was totally accidental and unexpected as the MU player was falling, tripped by Neymar, who was sitting on the pitch. No need for any sanction.
No longer than 1 minutes later, the same two players had another go at each other again. McTominay challenged Neymar, holding him and pushing. The Brazilian had a light reaction, and was then awarded a free kick for a clear hold by his opponent.
Orsato did well in this instance, after awarding the free kick he approached McTominay and had a quiet word with him to make manage the situation.
However, the MU player committed another foul on Neymar just another minute after, in yet another duel.
Again, Orsato correctly awarded a free kick, but this time he was seen talking to Neymar in an effort to control the situation and manage both players as they were both clearly challenging each other.
58’ - Yellow Card for Verratti, PSG
In the 58th minute there was a serious of episodes that led to Verratti (PSG) getting cautioned for Stopping a Promising Attack (SPA).
However, the yellow card came after two incidents that the referee should have stopped play for. Let’s have a look at them in order.
At the beginning of this play, Martial uses his arm as a tool to jump and pass the ball to Cavani. He hits Marquinhos recklessly in the face. This should have been a free kick for PSG, and a yellow card for the MU attacker.
At the same time, Martial’s pass ends up to Cavani who is in an offside position. The lines of the field of play really help us in this situation to identify that the MU striker is in an offside position that becomes punishable once he interferes with play by playing the ball.
An indirect free kick for PSG could have been awarded if the previous offence wasn’t identified.
Finally, Martial runs towards PSG’s goal and gets pulled down by Verratti, who is cautioned for SPA. Martial had clear possession of the ball, the direction of play was towards the opponents goal, there was 4 defenders vs 3 attackers + 1 more coming to support play from behind, hence this being a promising attack.
69’ - Goal Maquinhos, PSG
In the occasion of the second PSG goal, we have to praise the AR1 Giallantini for 2 fantastic no-offside decisions in close succession.
On the initial shot, it is clear that two MU players are keeping 3 PSG player onside.
Despite the still being obvious, this happened very quickly and the Giallantini correctly kept his flag down.
The PSG player at the bottom of the screen is the one who received the ball after his teammate shot, and passed it to Marquinhos in the middles of the Goal Area.
This was a matter of millimetres , but the MU players kept all PSG players on as we can see from these images:
The moment of the pass from an angle.
VAR’s images confirming the onside position.
70’ - Red card (Second caution) for Fred, MU
Just a minute after PSG took the lead, and Fred was finally sent off after getting lucky in more than one situation.
The MU midfielder tackled Herrera with high speed, hitting him with body on his knee, which resulted in a yellow card for a reckless tackle.
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