Braga Sporting penalty analysis after Doumbia handball

Pedro Henriques says SC Braga should have had a penalty against Sporting CP in the 48th minute of SC Braga vs Sporting CP. His argument is that Issa Doumbia handled the ball inside the area, even though VAR overturned the on-field assessment and no foul was given.

The 48th-minute handball

The key detail is the position of Doumbia's right arm. Pedro Henriques says it was bent, with the forearm parallel to the ground and away from the body, which is why the handball was punishable.

The replay from the offside camera showed the infringement was inside the penalty area, with the lines treated as part of the box. That is the point that makes the VAR call harder to defend, because the review did not just question contact, it also settled the location.

Henriques' view lines up with the match context too. SC Braga were sixth and Sporting CP were third at the time, so this was not a throwaway moment in a loose game.

The wider refereeing picture

This was not the only contentious flashpoint in the match. At 10', Huseinbasic pushed Gonçalo Inácio after the ball was no longer there and then had to stay off the pitch for at least one minute after treatment. At 15', Ioannidis was stopped for an attacking foul while getting away alone after using his shoulder and arm on Vítor Carvalho.

The first half also included two minutes of added time after medical assistance to Gonçalo Inácio and the Braga goal. Late on, Flávio Gonçalves was booked for kicking the ball away, and Sérgio Barcia was also cautioned for grabbing and throwing him to the ground.

The game finished with five minutes of added time after three goals, two yellow cards and six stoppages for substitutions involving ten players. The final major call also went against Braga, with the 90+3' goal disallowed for offside when Flávio Gonçalves passed to Doumbia, who was clearly ahead of the penultimate opponent.

Pedro Henriques' main point still stands on the 48th minute: Doumbia's handball was inside the area, and the VAR review did not get that call right.