Bayern at a disadvantage against PSG? Here's why Kompany is wrong

Vincent Kompany

PSG's penalty, which made it 2–3 from Bayern Munich's point of view, infuriated Vincent Kompany. Nevertheless, the decision was correct.

Although Vincent Kompany ultimately expressed satisfaction with FC Bayern's dramatic comeback in Paris and reportedly praised his side's spirit in the dressing room after the match, he still criticised two costly refereeing decisions on the night.

In the 33rd minute, Joao Neves headed home a corner to put PSG 2–1 ahead. The goal followed a mazy Desire Doue run and shot that had flashed just wide of the Munich goal. Swiss referee Sandro Schärer initially believed Jonathan Tah had deflected the effort, but replays suggested otherwise. 

Kompany agreed, although the incident was almost impossible to judge at full speed because of the shot's odd trajectory, and remains hard to discern even in slow motion. Jamal Musiala then failed to track Joao Neves, who headed the resulting corner past the Bayern defence to put Paris ahead. The goal exposed Bayern's ongoing vulnerability at set pieces.

Perhaps that is why, after the thrilling 4-5 win in Munich that keeps Bayern's final hopes alive, Kompany's frustration centered on another incident just before half-time. Ousmane Dembélé's cross struck the slightly outstretched arm of Alphonso Davies, who had previously had his hands clasped behind his back. 

Paris Saint-Germain v FC Bayern München - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Semi Final First Leg

Kompany criticises the penalty awarded to PSG, arguing that Davies' hip contact is not worthy of a free-kick.

Following fierce protests from the PSG players, the VAR intervened and sent Schärer to the monitor, whereupon he awarded a penalty—much to the displeasure of Kompany and former international Christoph Kramer. Dembele stepped up to take the spot-kick himself and converted it to give his side a 3-2 half-time lead.

"The penalty isn't a penalty, in my opinion. It [the ball; editor's note] goes from the body to the hand," Kompany told CBS Sports. The Belgian argued that Dembele's cross first struck the Canadian's hip before deflecting onto Davies's arm. "From the footage I've seen, the ball hits the body first and then the arm, so it's not a penalty," he insisted.

However, the case is not that simple, and ultimately Schärer's decision was, at least in terms of the rules, flawless and correct. This was also the view of refereeing expert Lutz Wagner on Prime Video, who emphasised that the contact with Davies' hip played "no role" in this case: "The left arm extends and increases the defensive surface area. In my view, it is definitely a punishable handball because the body surface is widened. Based on these images, a correct decision."

Schärer

FC Bayern are fuming over the penalty given against Davies, yet the rules are unambiguous.

This interpretation is also reflected in the rules. The rules state that the deflection by another part of the body must significantly alter the direction of the ball. However, this was not the case with Davies. Dembélé's cross would have struck his outstretched arm anyway. 

After reviewing the footage on the VAR monitor, referee Schärer concluded that Davies had extended his arm "unnaturally" wide, a judgment many observers would agree with. That detail is decisive, because the rules are clear, even when the ball is deliberately deflected: if a player makes an unnatural movement with the arm to block a shot or cross, it is a handball offence. 

"If the ball rebounds off a player's head, foot or any other part of their body and then touches the arm or hand of the same player or a nearby player, the following applies: Handball is punishable if that player has already unnaturally widened their arm beforehand (for example, to block a shot on goal)."

Referee Schärer and expert Wagner agreed that this described Davies's action, making the penalty call correct per the rules.

Kompany Enrique

Kompany's appeal has secured a high-profile backer, who issues "one request" to Bayern Munich supporters.

Manuel Gräfe, a former referee and now head of the German refereeing body, disagreed. He challenged the notion that Davies's arm position was "unnatural".

"The arm had moved out slightly with the step even before the cross, but was still very much in a natural position, and when the cross was delivered, his arm was in a rather natural position, still relatively close to his body, and, crucially, the ball had bounced off his hip beforehand," Gräfe commented on X: "So the only argument in favour of a penalty is the previous movement of the arm outwards, but that happened before the cross was even struck."

In the end, though, Kompany's frustration over the two calls probably faded quickly. After PSG had briefly raced into a 5-2 lead, his side showed remarkable resolve, keeping the tie alive and pulling one back through Dayot Upamecano and Luis Diaz.

As a result, Munich's task for the return leg is less daunting than it briefly seemed. Kompany knew almost immediately after the final whistle what would be crucial on Wednesday, and the Belgian made a single, special request of the FC Bayern fans.

He urged the supporters to play their part in reaching the final in Budapest. "We need our fans and their support with the same passion as against Madrid," said the Belgian, before making a final, unselfish request: "At home, my only request is this: if anyone has bought a ticket but isn't feeling well on match day, they should stay at home and give their ticket to the fittest people who can take that energy from the Allianz Arena with them. The 75,000 people in the Allianz Arena are important to us."