Sevilla continued their strong El Gran Derbi form on Sunday with a 1-0 victory at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan. However, controversy has surrounded the winning moment, with Real Betis furious that a penalty was called against Diego Llorente.
Llorente was adjudged to have handled inside the area. On-field referee Juan Martinez Munuera awarded the penalty, and VAR confirmed the decision. Speaking post-match (via Sport), Llorente could not contain his disbelief.
“The truth is that the penalty… I just saw the images and I don’t understand anything, I don’t understand anything. My hands are down, he says that I have them open and at no time do I have my hands horizontally. It’s not just that he calls a penalty, which is what he can interpret on the field, but that the VAR doesn’t call him. On top of that, they tell him that I have my hands like that. It is disrespectful and unfortunate to be honest.”
However, Sevilla are non-plussed about Betis’ complaints. As per Diario AS, they see it simply as excuses. Lucien Agoume also spoke to the media, and for him, it was a clear offence.
“For me it’s a clear penalty. I don’t know why people want to start a controversy because it’s clear.”
Betis can complain about the decision, but ultimately, they were poor against Sevilla. Over the 90 minutes, they did not create much of a threat, and this is something that Manuel Pellegrini needs to work on.
