Reason Inaki Williams' Goal Against Barcelona Was Disallowed for Offside Despite De Jong's Backpass
- Barcelona registered a 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final in Saudi Arabia
- Inaki Williams thought he had reduced the deficit after a mistake by Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong
- However, after a VAR review, the referee disallowed the goal with replays showing the ball was touched by a Bilbao player
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In the closing stages of the Spanish Super Cup semi-final, Athletic Club thought they had scored a crucial goal through Inaki Williams.
The chance came from a misjudged back-pass by Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong in the 85th minute.
Source: Getty Images
The Ghana international calmly slotted the ball into the far corner, keeping hopes of a comeback alive.
The Barcelona team did not protest the goal, assuming it was valid.
However, VAR intervened to review the play and ultimately disallowed the goal for offside.
Why VAR disallowed Inaki Williams' goal
Normally, a player cannot be offside from a back-pass, but VAR determined that the ball did not travel directly from De Jong to Inaki.
Instead, the ball deflected off Alvaro Djalo before reaching Inaki, which meant it was considered a pass from a teammate.
A video shared on social media showed Djalo’s foot impacting the ball, confirming the deflection and justifying the offside call.
A few minutes earlier, the referees had disallowed another Bilbao goal, also due to offside.
Despite the controversial decision, Barcelona maintained their two-goal lead with less than five minutes remaining, ensuring their victory regardless of the outcome.
Inaki Williams slams VAR decision
The match concluded with Barcelona advancing to the final, but the disallowed goal sparked discussions about the offside rule’s application in situations involving back-passes and deflections.
After the game, Williams criticised the VAR decision to disallow his goal, calling it strange that such plays are ruled out and expressing his strong belief that the decision was unfair.
"Offside? I find it strange that these types of plays are ruled out, I don't think it's fair," the Black Stars striker said in his post match interview.
This incident highlighted the complexities of VAR rulings, especially in fast-paced scenarios where multiple players interact with the ball.
Barcelona 2-0 Athletic Club
Gavi opened the scoring for Barcelona in the 17th minute, finishing from close range after Alejandro Balde’s precise cutback.
The 20-year-old celebrated by pointing to an imaginary watch, a tribute to Dani Olmo’s signature gesture.
Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal doubled the lead early in the second half, calmly finishing after being set up by Gavi, per Al Jazeera.
What's next for Barcelona
Barcelona’s dominant performance secured their spot in Sunday’s final, where Olmo is expected to feature.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid, the Spanish and European champions, will face cup runners-up Mallorca in the second semifinal on Thursday.
The winner will face Barcelona.
Inaki charges Bilbao teammates to defend Copa del Rey
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Inaki Williams has urged his Athletic Bilbao teammates to fight hard in their quest to retain the Copa del Rey title.
The Spanish side kicked off their title defence with a tense penalty shootout victory over Logrones on Saturday, January 4.
Williams played a pivotal role last season, helping the Basque club secure their first Copa del Rey triumph in 40 years.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
