Liverpool defender Alberto Moreno should have been sent off for his reckless two-footed challenge on Borussia Dortmund‘s Christian Pulisic, according to Graham Poll.
Late in the second half, as Liverpool were trying to contain the home side and escape Germany with a vital 1-1 draw, Moreno lunged dangerously at Pulisic.
A foul was awarded against the Spaniard by referee Carlos Carballo but the 23-year-old left-back was not handed a yellow card which would have seen him miss the second leg at Anfield next week.
The two-footed lunge was worthy of a yellow card at the very least, while Poll – a former Premier League and World Cup referee – believes the Spanish full-back should have seen red.
“Alberto Moreno was very fortunate not to see red for his dangerous challenge on Christian Pulisic by the corner flag in the final 10 minutes,” Poll wrote in the Daily Mail.
“It was double-footed, off the ground, the player arrived at speed and looked to be out of control.
“The fact that he wasn’t even booked by Spanish referee Carlos Velasco is inconceivable, and further evidence of weak officiating at this level.”
Liverpool went into the game with five players on yellow cards and at the risk of suspension for the second leg.
Despite being officiated by one of the most card-happy referees in Europe, having shown five red cards in his last 10 matches, the Reds escaped without any suspensions but were extremely lucky not to get reduced to ten men after Moreno’s moment of madness.
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