Neil Lennon praised Liam Scales as a “lucky boy” after giving away a crucial free-kick in Celtic’s victory over Rangers. However, former referee Bobby Madden strongly believed that Rangers should have been awarded a penalty instead of the free-kick.
Scales, who came on as a substitute, made a costly mistake with a poor challenge on Vaclav Cerny in extra-time. Madden argued that the foul continued into the penalty area, making it a clear penalty offense.
Despite the debate and controversy, VAR did not intervene to review the incident. Madden took to social media to express his disappointment in the decision, emphasizing that the holding was evident in the box and should have resulted in a penalty.
The pundits on Premier Sports also believed it was a clear penalty, with Alan Hutton and Scott Arfield both sharing the same opinion. Madden criticized the referee team for not utilizing VAR to rectify the error.
In the end, Scales’ error did not cost Celtic as they went on to win the game. However, Madden’s comments highlight the importance of VAR in ensuring fair and accurate decisions in crucial moments of the game.
