A refereeing controversy flared in the first half of Paris Saint-Germain's clash with Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday evening.
Barça travelled to Paris for the third round of the league phase.
In the 40th minute, with Barça trailing to Désiré Doué's goal, Pedri threaded a superb pass to send Fermín López clean through, one-on-one against Paris goalkeeper Safonov.
López tried to lift the ball over the keeper, but Safonov saved it, and the ball dropped between the Barça man and Paris defender Pacho.
As the two contested the loose ball, Fermín caught Pacho in the face with his boot while trying to play it, the Paris defender having ducked down to meet the ball with his head.
Referees stopped the match for Pacho to receive treatment, with the Paris players protesting furiously that Fermín had gone unpunished.
"Archivo VAR", a network specialising in refereeing incidents, weighed in with its own verdict.
The account posted on "X": "Should VAR have intervened in the incident that occurred between Pacho and Fermín?".
It continued: "The answer is no. The defender is the one who lowered his head to waist level, putting his physical safety at risk".
The analysis concluded: "The International Football Association Board (IFAB) classifies this action as dangerous play on the part of the defender".