Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes’ penalty has been controversial in England.
Manchester United won 2-0 against Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup round of 64 in the 2023-24 season at DW Stadium in Wigan, England on the 9th (Korea time). Manchester United, which led by Diogo Dalot’s first goal in the 22nd minute of the first half, advanced to the round of 32 by beating Wigan with Brunu’s additional penalty goal in the 29th minute of the second half.마카오카지노도메인
On this day, Manchester United faced Wigan with the best available members. Andre Onana wore goalkeeper gloves, and Dalot, Jonny Evans, Raphael Varane and Aaron Wan-Bissaka made up the back four. Kobe Mainu and Scott McTominay worked together in the midfield, while Marcus Rashford, Brunu and Alejandro Garnacho supported forward striker Rasmus Huirun in the second line.
Contrary to the results, the victory was not an easy one. Manchester United led the game 67-33 in ball possession rate and 33-9 in shooting rate, but scored only two goals due to poor goal-getting ability. Even so, the team was embroiled in controversy over Brunu’s penalty kick, saying that the decision itself was wrong.
British talk sports criticized the referee for declaring a penalty too easily, saying, “Danny Murphy said Brunu’s penalty decision is the same as encouraging players to dive.”
On the day, the referee awarded a penalty kick to Manchester United after a collision between Wigan defender Liam Shaw and Brunu. Brunu, who played as a kicker, cut the net with a neat kick that completely deceived the goalkeeper. However, Shaw and Brunu’s contact with each other was minimal, and the game was not equipped with a VAR system. For this reason, there are divided opinions on whether Shaw’s foul really felt like a penalty kick.
Murphy, a former England midfielder who is currently a commentator for the BBC, criticized recent players for trying to dive frequently, saying, “It’s a terrible decision,” adding, “I could see not only Brunu but also a few players diving (Diogu) Jota against Newcastle United.”
“Even with a small amount of contact, the referee gives a penalty kick. This decision encourages players to dive into any contact,” he said. “Even if there is not enough contact, the players would think, ‘It’s better to fall. It’s an exaggerated act, and it’s a terrible decision to encourage diving. It makes players fall down.”
“Bruno showed good performance in this game. But I’m not criticizing him because he’s Bruno. Any player will criticize him if he acts like that. Because of these decisions, players keep falling,” he said. “Contact does not mean a penalty kick. It also does not mean that you have to fall even if you come into contact with him.”
However, it should be taken into account that Murphy played for Liverpool, Manchester United’s biggest rival, when he was a player. Wigan coach Sean Maloney also admitted that there seems to be no problem with the referee’s decision.
In a post-match interview, Maloney said, “Looking back, I think the penalty is right. There was definitely contact. I can understand why the referee declared the penalty.”