Fiorentina’s Jordan Veretout converted a penalty, awarded after a VAR review which took nearly five minutes, in the 11th minute of stoppage time to draw 3-3 with Inter Milan in an extraordinary Serie A game on Sunday.
Federico Chiesa‘s shot hit Davide D’Ambrosio in the sixth minute of stoppage time and referee Rosario Abisso immediately pointed to the spot, a decision greeted by furious protests from Inter who claimed it hit the defender’s chest.
However, after consulting with the video assistant, the referee reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor and eventually confirmed his original decision. Veretout calmly slotted home to equalise and Inter coach Luciano Spalletti was left fuming.
“Everyone saw it wasn’t a penalty, it hit his chest,” he said. “It was in front of everyone’s eyes. If the referee uses the monitor, he can’t see something different to what everyone else is seeing.
“These matches and results are fundamental in reaching your objectives at the end of the season,” added Spalletti, whose side are chasing a Champions League place.
Third-placed Inter had earlier benefited from two VAR decisions as they had a penalty awarded to them and Fiorentina a goal disallowed.
Fiorentina coach Stefano Pioli implied he would not have given either of the two penalties. “There are some handball decisions which I would never give. But, nowadays, they (referees) give them all,” he said.
Fiorentina took a first-minute lead when Giovanni Simeone‘s shot hit Stefan de Vrij and ricocheted off the Inter defender for an own goal.
Inter replied quickly as Matias Vecino volleyed the equaliser in the sixth minute and Matteo Politano scored with a dipping shot from the edge of the penalty area five minutes before halftime.
Six minutes into the second half, Marcelo Brozovic floated a free kick into the Fiorentina area and, although the ball was clear, Inter claimed handball. The referee consulted the pitchside monitor and awarded a penalty which Ivan Perisic converted.
Fiorentina thought they had scored on the hour when Cristiano Biraghi rifled home a loose ball but, following another review, it was chalked off for a foul by Luis Muriel on D’Ambrosio in the penalty area.
However, Muriel made amends by scoring with an exquisite free kick from 25 metres in the 74th minute.
Veretout then completed an extraordinary fightback, extending Fiorentina’s unbeaten run to nine games in all competitions, in a game which finally ended in the 13th minute of stoppage time.
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