Refereeing controversy overshadowed Real Betis against Barcelona at La Cartuja, with the official ruling out the Andalusian side's equaliser after a VAR review for a possible handball by Cucho Hernandez at the start of the move.
Giovani Lo Celso had sent the Betis stands into raptures. He met the ball in the air and struck it first time with his left foot, beating the hand of goalkeeper Joan Garcia to make it 2-2 as the supporters went wild.
The joy did not last long. Referee De Burgos Bengoetxea called on the video technology to check the build-up, suspecting a handball by Cucho Hernandez at the start of the attack.
Having reviewed the footage, the referee disallowed the goal and denied Real Betis their 2-2 equaliser, leaving questions over the validity of the decision and whether the handball genuinely warranted chalking it off.
