However, in addition to the great victory, the game was also marked by an unusual situation with two Bayern players, which raised questions about intentional bookings.
Two Bayern players, Joshua Kimmich and Michael Olise, were threatened with suspension for the second leg if they received a yellow card. With the score 6:0, Olise, who was declared the player of the match with two goals and an assist, received a yellow card in the 77th minute for delaying the execution of a corner. Just seven minutes later, team-mate and captain Joshua Kimmich used the same tactic and was also cautioned for lingering before taking an 84th-minute corner.
With passage practically assured, the question immediately arose as to whether Kimmich and Olise were deliberately booked in order to miss the second leg on March 18 in Munich and advance to the quarter-finals without the threat of suspension.
After the game, Kimmich denied that he was booked on purpose and tried to justify his move.
“I was looking for a solution to the pass. You shouldn’t play into the opponent’s pressing. The opponent left Tom Bischof somewhat free. I had the feeling that he was leaving him free only so that he could put pressure on me,” explained the German representative.
“I think if the opposing player hadn’t gone after me, maybe I wouldn’t have gotten the yellow card. I wanted to clear the ball, but it was too late. It’s really frustrating,” added Kimmich.
Such questions have become legitimate because a similar case has already happened in the Champions League. In the 2018/2019 season In the first game of the round of 16, Real Madrid visited Ajax and won 2:1. Sergio Ramos, Real’s stopper and captain at the time, was also under threat of suspension. In the 90th minute, he received a yellow card for an unnecessary foul.
After the game, Ramos openly admitted what he did. “Given the result, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t challenge it on purpose. It’s something I thought about,” Ramos said at the time.
(Vijesti.ba)
