Chelsea
The team progressed to the next round after beating Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 second leg with a controversial penalty comeback. The crucial penalty was taken by Xaviers, although his first touch was full of drama. As VAR ruled that a Dortmund player had entered the penalty area early, Xavis was given the chance to re-shoot and put the ball into the net at the second attempt to help Chelsea advance.
The penalty itself was a point of contention, as Chivier's cross was deflected by Marios Hoff's arm, which the referee didn't indicate, but VAR intervened and awarded the penalty instead. Xaviers' 'hesitation' shot bounced off the post, but a number of players, including those from Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea, were in the box at the time. The VAR ruled that Xaviers had the right to redirect the shot, which ultimately changed the course of the game, as Shaliosjan was also deemed to have "stolen a step" when clearing the ball.
Borussia Dortmund midfielder Zuidi Binningham expressed his strong displeasure with the penalty: "The handball call itself was disappointing, and the decision to re-shoot was a joke! What player wouldn't rush into the penalty area if he 'hesitated' like Xaviers did? I don't want to cause any more trouble, I've already paid a lot of fines for this."
