Bayern Munich Denied Penalty for Joao Neves Handball in PSG Champions League Semi

Bayern Munich players, coaching staff and fans at the Allianz Arena could not believe it when officials denied a penalty for a handball by Joao Neves during their Champions League semi-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain.

The German side trailed the holders 1-0 on the night and 6-4 on aggregate. At the half-hour mark, Vitinha rifled a clearance that struck his teammate Neves' arm inside the penalty area. Bayern players surrounded referee Joao Pedro Silva Pinheiro in protest.

Pinheiro waved play on. The video assistant referee did not intervene, prompting questions on social media about the lack of a spot-kick.

BBC Sport's football issues correspondent Dale Johnson said a little-known exemption in the handball law explained the decision.

The laws of the game state it is not a handball if "the ball is hit on the hand/arm by the ball which has been played by a team-mate (unless the ball goes directly into the opponents' goal or the player scores immediately afterwards, in which case a direct free-kick is awarded to the other team)."

"It covers when the ball is unexpectedly hit at you by a team-mate, even if your arm is away from your body - the law says you should not give away a penalty," Johnson said.

He added: "When Vitinha blasts the ball clear, could Joao Neves think the ball would be hit straight at him? Of course, this could be overridden by deliberate handball, but in the context of this situation, a penalty would not be expected to be awarded."