M4 Sport: Lack of VAR saved Debrecen from defeat against Pyunik

Hungarian media outlet M4 Sport believes that the absence of the video assistant referee system may have saved Debrecen from defeat in the second leg of their UEFA Conference League qualifying tie against Pyunik.

The match in Yerevan ended in a goalless draw, but one incident raised questions among Hungarian journalists. Pyunik put the ball into the net, but the officials ruled the goal out for offside.

According to M4 Sport, slow-motion footage shows that the ball reached the Pyunik player after deflecting off the head of Debrecen defender Adam Lang.

“Judging by the slow-motion replay, the ball bounced off Adam Lang’s head and fell to the Pyunik player. The assistant referee either failed to notice it properly or believed that the Armenian forward behind him had interfered with the play and affected Lang’s actions. Whatever happened, from Debrecen’s point of view, the absence of VAR was not a problem in this match. It is quite possible that the video assistant would have recommended an on-field review, after which the referee might have awarded the goal,” the Hungarian outlet wrote.

The match between Pyunik and Debrecen ended 0-0. Thanks to their victory in the first leg, the Hungarian side won the tie 1-0 on aggregate and advanced to the next round of the UEFA Conference League.