Keith Hackett: Alexis Mac Allister goal should not have been disallowed during Liverpool vs Galatasaray
Keith Hackett has said that Alexis Mac Allister's disallowed goal for Liverpool against Galatasaray should have been allowed to stand as Virgil van Dijk did not foul Ugurcan Cakir.
Mac Allister thought he had put Liverpool 5-0 up on the night in the 90th minute as he tapped the ball into an empty net after it had fallen to him from a corner.
Virgil van Dijk had challenged Galatasaray keeper Cakir for the ball in the air before the goal was scored, however, and referee Pawel Raczkowski saw fit to rule the goal out for a foul by the Reds captain.
Mac Allister will certainly have felt hard done by, as replays showed that Van Dijk had every right to go for the ball, but the VAR officials checked and cleared the decision as play continued.
Liverpool's next match in the Champions League will be in the quarters against PSG after a comfortable 4-0 win for Slot's side, but they should have made it five with the strike that was wrongly chalked off.
Keith Hackett baffled by disallowed Liverpool goal
Mac Allister put in a solid performance at Anfield as he set Dominik Szoboszlai up for the Reds' first-half opener with a well-worked corner routine.
Van Dijk also shone at the back, with little to do in terms of defensive work, but his apparent foul was what caused Mac Allister's sixth goal of the campaign to be ruled out.
| Minutes played | 96' |
| Accurate passes | 55/62 |
| Clearances | 3 |
| Recoveries | 5 |
| Aerial duels won | 2/3 |
| Fouls committed | 2 |
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Hackett insisted that the goal should have been given, as there was no foul offence and Cakir simply needed to be stronger in the air.
He said: "The goal should have been allowed. The goalkeeper, frankly, makes the mistake of failing to catch the ball when leaving his goal line.
"Yes, the goalkeeper and (Van Dijk) come into contact. The Liverpool player is making an attempt to play the ball.
"I do not see this contact (as) an illegal challenge by the Liverpool player."
What chance do Liverpool have of making the Champions League final?
Liverpool will now face PSG in the UCL quarter finals, with the first leg at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday, 8 April, while the return leg is set for Tuesday, 14 April.
They lost to the Parisians in the round of 16 last season as Luis Enrique's side went on to lift the trophy, and Opta are currently giving Arne Slot's side a 43.79 per cent chance of progressing into the semis with a win across two legs this time around.
Sources have told Football Insider that Liverpool chiefs are asking questions of Slot right now, but Wednesday's win will have relieved the pressure, and making it past PSG would surely mean he keeps his job beyond this season.
Winning the whole thing would see him hailed as a club legend, but Opta are not optimistic of their chances, with a 7.04 per cent chance of doing so as it stands.