A double intervention. One regular, one much less. The Naples moves forward in the match against Rome with a penalty converted by Osimhen. And granted by referee Sozza only after a consultation with the monitor at the invitation of the VAR.
Renato Sanches on Kvaratskhelia: here’s what happened
Everything comes from an intervention of Renato Sanches at the edge of the area above Kvaratskhelia. The Portuguese – ghostly in this season on loan to Roma, spent almost entirely in the infirmary – hooks the ball from the ground, momentarily taking it away from the feet of Napoli’s Georgian striker. But he seems about to find it again. Still from the ground, Sanches extends his leg to challenge him again and Kvara ends up on the ground. Referee Sozza clearly says: “I saw, everything is fine”. A few moments pass, Anguissa lays down Dybala and he gets a yellow card, but it almost seems like it was a foul invoked to favor the VAR’s intervention.
Napoli-Roma, the VAR intervention: what happened
In fact, all the Napoli players ask for the penalty. And in the end the VAR intervenes, calling Sozza back to the monitor. Where the referee can observe what he had not seen: in an attempt to harpoon the ball from the ground, after the first regular intervention, Sanches plants his studs on Kvaratskhelia’s calf, hitting it right on the line of the area, which notoriously is part of the the area itself. Solar penalty, in fact just a few moments in front of the screen are enough to award the penalty. Osimhenruthless, after two errors out of the four penalties kicked this season, he doesn’t make a mistake.
