Scandal in the Betis–Barcelona match! VAR disallowed Lo Celso's incredible goal

Betis' match against Barcelona became the center of a refereeing scandal. With the Catalan side leading 2-1, the hosts managed to score a spectacular goal through Giovani Lo Celso, but the players' and fans' joy proved short-lived.

The referee received a signal from VAR and went to the monitor to personally review the incident for a possible handball. Betis players and members of the coaching staff tried to influence the situation and made no secret of their desire to see the goal stand. However, after reviewing the replay, the referee decided to disallow the goal.

According to reports, the video assistants went back to the incident approximately 20 seconds before the goal and identified an infringement involving a handball. That moment ultimately became the basis for disallowing Lo Celso's strike.

The decision sparked a furious reaction from the Betis players. The team's head coach, Manuel Pellegrini, also could not hide his frustration and felt that his side had been denied a deserved goal.

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As a result, instead of potentially restoring parity, Betis remained in the chasing role. The controversial incident became one of the major talking points of the first half and added further tension to the clash with Barcelona.