Round-up: Four penalties awarded in Seville first half on a night of Champions League ill-discipline
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Updated 14/09/2021 at 21:19 GMT
RB Salzburg contrived to miss two of their three penalties in the opening 40 minutes before Ivan Rakitic levelled from 12 yards at the other end for Sevilla. Elsewhere, there were sending offs in the games between Wolfsburg and Lille, and Villarreal and Atalanta, while Anthony Taylor was forced to recall a wrongly-dismissed Dynamo Kyiv player.
Ivan Rakitic of Sevilla FC, Fernando Reges of Sevilla, referee Aleksei Kulbakov during the UEFA Champions League match between Sevilla v Salzburg at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on September 14, 2021
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Sevilla clung on to an opening Champions League draw as RB Salzburg were made to pay for their profligacy from the penalty spot.
Four penalties were awarded by referee Aleksei Kulbakov in the first half - the first time four penalties have been conceded in the first half of a Champions League game since Opta started tracking game data.
Kulbakov also dismissed Sevilla's Youssef En-Nesyri early in the second half but the Austrian side could not force a winner against a resolute home side.
Three of the penalties were awarded Salzburg's way, each won by rising star Karim Adeyemi,
Adeyemi missed the first to the right, but the referee was soon pointing to the spot again after the German was fouled by Jesus Navas.
This time it was Luka Sucic asked to convert from 12 yards and the teenager duly obliged, sending Bono the wrong way to open the scoring
However after Adeyemi was felled for a third time inside the Sevilla box, the Croatian struck the post to keep Sevilla very much in the game.
And it was not long after that Sevilla drew a penalty decision from the referee of their own, Sucic's compatriot Ivan Rakitic making no mistake from the spot to equalise just before half-time.
There was to be further drama soon after half-time. With the rain pouring down, Youssef En-Nesyri foolishly threw himself towards the damp turf having taken no contact, and was rightly given his marching orders having already been booked.
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Referee Aleksei Kulbakov pointed to the penalty spot four times in the first half of Sevilla's Champions League clash with RB Salzburg
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Yet despite 14 attempts on goal the visitors could not find a winner against Sevilla's ten-men, who held on well to secure a battling home point in Group G.
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Europa League winners Villarreal began their Champions League campaign with an exciting 2-2 draw with Atalanta.
The Italian side took an early lead through Remo Freuler, who fired home from just beyond the penalty spot after fine hold-up work from Duvan Zapata.
Villarreal, winless this season in La Liga, equalised as Manu Trigueros side-footed home from close range after a ball bobbled his way in the box.
Zapata would later hit the top of the bar with a furiously flicked near-post header.
Villarreal then moved in front with a scrappy goal from substitute and former Bournemouth winger Arnaut Danjuma, who latched on to a volleyed, deflected through ball from Gerard Moreno to powerfully fire home.
That appeared to have the Spanish side on course for victory but free-scoring Atalanta always seemed likely to add at least another, and so it proved.
Robin Gosens snuck into the box and could not believe his luck as a ball squirmed his way six yards out, the German left with the simplest of tasks to level things.
And Francis Coquelin was sent off soon after the equaliser, shown a second yellow card just eight minutes after receiving his first as the combative midfielder was dismissed for a fifth time in his career.
Unai Emery’s side nevertheless hung on to secure a point.
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Dynamo Kyiv and Benfica played out a dramatic 0-0 draw in Group E in a game that came to life in its final minutes.
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referee Anthony Taylor shows Rafa Silva of SL Benefica the yellow card during the UEFA Champions League Group E match between Dinamo Kiev and SL Benfica at NSC Olimpiyskiy
Image credit: Getty Images
In a game otherwise limited in clear goalmouth action, Benfica’s woodwork was twice struck in stoppage time, first from distance and then as Jan Vertonghen tried to clear, the Belgian nearly skewing into his own net.
But from the resulting corner, Mykola Shaparenko - who had produced that strike from distance - stole in at the far post to seemingly snatch a dramatic late winner.
Yet a VAR check revealed an offside, condemning both sides to an opening draw.
There had earlier been potential controversy in Kiev as Anthony Taylor was forced to recall Denys Garmash having sent off the Ukranian.
Garmash had lashed out with a high challenge and seemingly received a second yellow card, Taylor quickly switching pockets to produce the red.
However substitute Garmash had not previously been cautioned - and back on he came to play out the remaining ten minutes as his side
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The deadlock could also not be broken despite a topsy-turvy affair between Lille and Wolfsburg in France.
The home side had the better of things and seemed to have moved ahead when striker Jonathan David slotted home after a lovely cushioned header found the Canadian in space.
David’s goal was soon ruled out, though, after a VAR check found that the ball had rolled out of play earlier in the movement.
Wolfsburg defender John Brooks was then dismissed after receiving a second yellow card for handball having already been booked for pulling down Burak Yilmaz.
Deep into stoppage time, Lille appeared to have been granted the ideal opportunity to steal a late win after a penalty was awarded.
The intervention of VAR again proved decisive, however, replays showing contact occurred just outside of the box.
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