Lucas Boyé rescues Alavés: Le Normand’s controversial penalty

Alavés Deportivo Alavés pulled level against Atlético Madrid thanks to a controversial penalty converted by Lucas Boyé in the last moments of the first half. Grimaldo had given the hosts the lead just after the half-hour mark, but Boyé’s strike arrived right before the break.

The decision was checked twice by VAR. Pulido Santana first awarded the spot-kick and then reviewed the play again to see if there was a possible offside that could wipe it out. In the end, the call stood after what Quintero González saw from the pitch.

The penalty came from a free kick: Le Normand grabbed Toni Martínez and both went down. Broadcast images left a question over whether the forward helped trigger the incident, but VAR ruled it out. It was also the second penalty Le Normand has been involved in this season, after the one he gave away versus Villarreal at the Metropolitano, when Villarreal went 1-2 up.

“Si Julián ha tomado esa decisión es porque la considera beneficiosa para su carrera,” said Walter Zimmermann on the VAR decision.