Celtic clawed a victory out of the jaws of a draw once again, as they managed to defeat Dundee United 4-2. For a while, it had looked like they had let the game slip, when the visitors made it 2-2 in the 87th minute of the game and it appeared that the Hoops were set to drop a couple of precious points in the title race, at home in a game they were expected to win.
This team does not know when to give up though and they showed that once again. Kyogo came to the rescue to put the Hoops ahead once again before Liel Abada’s goal put it beyond any doubt and sealed the win for Ange Postecoglou’s side.
At the end of the day, Celtic fans will be happy to come out of this game with just a scratch, but there were a lot of talking points as well. None of them was perhaps bigger than the penalty decision against Alexandro Bernabei.
The ball struck his hand when Bernabei was not even looking at the ball and was mid-air trying to win a header. But not only was it adjudged to be a penalty but a yellow card for the Argentine as well. Postecoglou was clearly not happy with the decision.
Postecoglou goes on incredible rant despite Celtic win
As reported by The National, Postecoglou said while speaking on BBC Sportsound:
"“I just think now, the way it looks, apart from if we are playing against Hearts at Tynecastle, if it hits your hand in the box it is a penalty.“I don’t even know why they bother about natural or unnatural. Bernabei wasn’t even looking at the call.“How is he supposed to know that his arm is in an unnatural position? It basically means if the ball hits your arm in the box it’s a penalty.“If that is the way they want to define it then it will change the game and it will change the way people defend.“You are literally going to stop putting your body in line with the ball because any sort of contact is going to be a penalty.“That is the way it is being interpreted. That is three instances we have had within two games where in at least two of the occasions, the guys haven’t even known that the ball is on it’s way.“Like I say if someone can explain to me how Bernabei who is going for a header and the ball has gone behind him and hit his arm in the air, can adjust his position to let that ball go.“Anyway, it is what it is. Like I say that is more about the rules of the game.“VAR has thrown the cat amongst the pigeons in terms of the rules that we always knew and understood.”"
It is safe to say that Postecoglou was not a happy man after some of the decisions that have gone against his side in recent games.
Celtic conceded a couple of questionable penalties in the game against Real Madrid as well, and the manager has never sounded as the biggest fan of VAR anyway. Not only is it disrupting the flow of the game, but it is also not making good decisions a lot of the time.