One of the premium matchups of the league phase in the 2025/26 Champions League was Real Madrid‘s visit to Anfield Stadium for a meeting with Liverpool.
The match not only pitted former Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold against his old club, but also a visit from former Reds midfielder and current Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso.
As a matchup between two of the biggest favourites to win the competition, there was plenty of attention on Merseyside as the two clubs clashed.
Ultimately Liverpool would come away with a 1-0 win thanks to an Alexis Mac Allister header shortly after halftime, a deserved result given their excellent performance. Yet while the game was stills coreless, a major refereeing decision on the half-hour mark made waves across the football universe, as Real Madrid were spared the concession of a first-half penalty.
The Sporting News details the controversial decision as the referee reviewed a potential handball decision on the VAR monitor and came to a surprising conclusion.
MORE: A full explainer on the handball rule as written, including current IFAB advisement
Liverpool denied penalty vs. Real Madrid for handball on VAR review
In the 30th minute of Liverpool’s Champions League match against Real Madrid, Aurelien Tchouameni was whistled for a handball offence just outside the penalty area.
The French midfielder had stepped to challenge a thumping shot from Dominik Szoboszlai, and saw the ball graze his right arm.
Initially, the referee pointed for a Liverpool free-kick just outside the penalty area, but replays showed that Tchouameni was indeed standing just inside the 18-yard box when the ball struck his arm. Thus, the VAR sent the referee to the monitor to check for a possible penalty.
However, the referee returned with bad news for the Anfield crowd, as he negated the handball decision and said no penalty, instead restarting play with a drop-ball to Real Madrid.
No penalty was given for a handball on Tchouameni on this play after VAR review. pic.twitter.com/PoQqgRaSTr
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 4, 2025
Why did Liverpool not get a penalty vs. Real Madrid?
It was the correct call not to award Liverpool a penalty for handball.
While the incident indeed took place inside the penalty area, it was not a deliberate handball that rose to the level wherein a penalty should be awarded.
Upon seeing that Dominik Szoboszlai was set to unleash a shot, Aurelien Tchouameni knew his momentum would take him into the line of fire. He reacted by turning his entire body, making himself smaller while simultaneously tucking his arms in towards his side.
Thus, with the player making every effort to reduce his size and prevent a foul, he arms were deemed to be in a natural position, pulled in towards his body.
Additionally, it appeared that the ball may have grazed off his thigh, adding to the referee’s ability to reverse the call. Current guidance on the handball rule is such that deflections off other body parts are not punished to nearly the same standard, as there is no time to react to such split-second directional changes of the ball, and no advantage gained as the shot was already blocked with a legal body part.
Correct call that. In no way, shape or form is that handball. Where is he supposed to put his arm?
— Peter Hall (@PeteHall86) November 4, 2025
Right decision and – at last – an excellent use of VAR.
— Ian Ladyman (@Ian_Ladyman_DM) November 4, 2025
How is that handball? Shot rifled at him from five yards away, arm in a very natural position.
You’d be bloody annoyed if that is given against you— Duncan Wright (@dwright75) November 4, 2025
Who was the referee for Liverpool vs. Real Madrid?
The referee for Liverpool’s Champions League match against Real Madrid on November 4 was Istvan Kovacs of Romania.
The 41-year-old was the official for last year’s Champions League final, which saw Paris Saint-Germain win in a landslide over Inter Milan by a 5-0 score.
Kovacs is one of the highest rated officials in the UEFA pool. A full international referee since 2018, he also served as a fourth official at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
