UEFA Champions League 2023/24PSV Eindhoven v Borussia Dortmund
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PSV Eindhoven were able to salvage a 1-1 draw at home against Borussia Dortmund via a goal from Luuk de Jong from the penalty spot to cancel out Donyell Malen's opening goal. De Jong made history as he became PSV's top scorer in the Champions League with nine goals, surpassing Ruud van Nistelrooy.

But it's a penalty that potentially shouldn't have happened. 

American midfielder Malik Tillman was brought down in the box by Mats Hummels, who was going for the ball, but following a VAR check, it was not recommended that the referee Srdjan Jovanovic should review the decision on the monitor. Hummels did appear to get the ball, but the follow-through on the slide tackle also made contact with the midfielder.

Tillman was asked his thoughts about the penalty during CBS Sports' Champions League postmatch show with Kate Abdo, Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards on Paramount+.

"Obviously, he got the ball, but afterward, I would say he got me as well so that's why I would say it's a penalty," said Tillman, although his smirk while delivering the answer may suggest that he didn't fully believe it.

Following the match, rules expert Christina Unkel broke down the decision but both she and the CBS Sports Champions League analysts didn't believe that it was a penalty. Hummels also shared his frustration with the decision on social media.

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"Twitter waits for it. Twitter gets it. What a joke of a penalty against us," Hummels said. "Again! I cannot believe there can be decisions like today or against Chelsea or PSG with the VAR."

"We're in a unanimous decision on this one. The preferred decision is no penalty here and the reason why is there is a touch by Hummels now there are two different points on this," Unkel said. "Does he play the ball and materially play the ball? The answer is yes here, prior to the contact the answer is yes there but then secondary is there enough contact through that follow through that rises to the level of careless ... [I'm] quite surprised that the decision on the field was given as a penalty."

Unkel did point out that the challenge didn't rise to the level of clear and obvious errors that are supposed to invoke a VAR review. This is where the Premier League has created controversy by taking some decisions out of the hands of referees on the pitch, but there is a balance that needs to be found. The penalty may have been what created the draw but it was missed chances on both sides that kept either side from emerging as a winner in the first leg. They'll now be back in action on March 13 in Germany to determine who makes the final eight.