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Top nine controversial UEFA Champions League games

The 2nd leg UEFA Champions League semi -final game between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich which was almost marred by contentious refereeing decisions has prompted Pulse Sports to provide a list of its nine controversial games in the premier European club football

9. Real Madrid CF v FC Bayern Munich (2017)

Real Madrid booked their place in the last four of the 2016/17 edition this week, as they defeated Bayern Munich 4-2 in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeau amidst controversial refereeing decisions made by Viktor Kassai.

With these two teams on display, perhaps we should never have expected anything but a night full of drama and tension.

The game should have been a Champions League classic, but the talking points focused less on the game's twists and turns given the two decisions by referee Viktor Kassai and his team that handed the tie to Real Madrid.

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At 2-1 up with six minutes to play, Bayern Munich looked the better side. Then, Arturo Vidal was controversially dismissed, and in extra time, an offside Cristiano Ronaldo scored what proved to be the decisive goal of his hat trick in what had been an enthralling match

8. Barcelona vs PSG (2017)

Barcelona overcame a four-goal deficit from the first leg in Paris to triumph 6-1 in the Nou Camp and book their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

The match, which saw Barcelona score three goals in the last five minutes, was hailed as 'the greatest comeback in football history' as Sergi Roberto's stoppage time finish capped off a miraculous performance.

Deniz Aytekin was heavily criticised for his performance in the Nou Camp after he gave two controversial penalties for Barcelona and turning down PSG's appeals for a spot-kick when Javier Mascherano slid in on Angel Di Maria.

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Mascherano later admitted: “It is clear that I did foul Di Maria but I think that is not the reason why we eliminated PSG.

7.Nordsjaelland-Shakhtar Donetsk (2012)

Shakhtar Donetsk striker Luiz Adriano was actually given a retrospective one-match ban by UEFA for grossly flouting the principles of fair play during a group game between the Ukrainian giants and first-time competitors Nordsjaelland in November 2012.

Adriano, who now plays for Spartak Moscow, was also ordered to do a day of community service to amend for his sins after he scored a goal against the Danes in a moment when Shakhtar was supposed to be returning the ball after an enforced break in play.

Instead of allowing a long kick forward to make its way to the Nordsjaelland goalkeeper, Adriano chased after it, ran through on goal and slotted it home. Shakhtar had been trailing 1-0 at the time and went on to win 5-2, with the Brazilian completing a hat-trick.

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6.Barcelona vs Inter Milan (2010)

Sergio Busquets has always been one to take advantage of situations in any way he can, and that was exactly what the Barcelona midfielder did during a semi-final clash with Inter Milan in 2010.

After being swatted away by an already booked Thiago Motta in the crucial second leg, Busquets fell to the floor clutching his face and combined serious play-acting with glances over to the referee to make sure the incident and his reaction had been seen.

"He always does it, I have seen it on TV and he is holding his face and then looking at the referee - it is terrible behaviour," Motta later said after receiving his marching orders, although it was Inter who had the last laugh after going on to lift the trophy in the final.

5.Manchester United vs Real Madrid (2013)

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Sir Alex Ferguson boycotted post-match presser in the 2013 last 16 clash because he was mad with Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir decision to send off Nani for kicking Alvaro Abeloa when it looked like his eyes was on the ball so he didn't see the Spaniard approaching.

Real Madrid, who were trailing 0-1 with the numerical advantage, had the edge over Manchester United and scored two goals through Luca Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo to progress to the quarters.

4. Barcelona vs Arsenal (2011)

Massimo Busacca was sent off Robin Van Persie for kicking the ball after he had blown the whistle in a Champions League game between Barcelona and Arsenal in the 95, 000 Camp Nou in 2011.

The controversial aspect of the send-off was that the time lapse between the time Busacca whistled for play to be halted and the time kicked the ball was very short.

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Moreover, the packed Camp Nou was too noisy as the fans yelled calling for goals. Van Persie complained after the game complained "In my opinion, it was a total joke, the sending‑off. How can I hear his whistle with 95,000 people jumping up? How can I hear that, for God's sake? Please explain me that."

3. Chelsea v Barcelona - UEFA Champions League Semi-Final (2009)

Referee Tom Henning Ovrebo made the headlines in Chelsea's elimination from the 2008-09 UEFA Champions League semis when he denied the Blues about four clear penalties, despite appeals from the Chelsea players and in the end, Andres Iniesta scored stunning goal to help Barcelona qualify via the away goal rule

Didier Drogba couldn't contain his anger at the final whistle, confronting Ovrebo, before yelling 'It's a f***ing disgrace!' into a nearby television camera as colleagues and stewards tried to lead him away down the tunnel.

2.Barcelona v Chelsea (2005)

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Jose Mourinho had accused highly respected referee Andres Frisk of inviting Frank Rijkaard to the dressing, after the knight of the whistle handed Dider Drogba the matching of orders in the 2004-05 UEFA Champions League first leg encounter between Barcelona and Chelsea at the Camp Nou.

The Swede coach, following the accusation, was taken on by Chelsea fans on social media and he retired from coaching weeks later citing threats made against him and his  family as the reasons

Having emerged on the Champions League scene as Porto's triumphant manager in 2004, Jose Mourinho was the talk of Europe for a much more unsavoury reason 12 months later after his shocking treatment of highly respected referee Anders Frisk. Mourinho, meanwhile, was handed a touchline ban for both legs of the next round.

1.Chelsea vs Liverpool (2005)

Luis Garcia scored a ghost goal against Chelsea in the semi-finals of the 2004-05 UEFA Champions League and that goal made Jose Mourinho who was the manager of Chelsea at the time to be a proponent of the goal line technology since it denied the Blues the opportunity to reach the final of the competition.

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Chelsea's nightmares came true just a few minutes after the opening whistle when Luis Garcia struck to put Liverpool on top 1-0, with no goals to follow for the remainder of the match. Chelsea was aggrieved. It appeared that William Gallas had cleared the ball before Garcia’s effort had made its way across the line, but Slovakian referee Lubos Michel pointed to the center circle and allowed the strike to stand. Mourinho dubbed the incident a “ghost goal,” according to The Guardian after all was said and done, also saying it had “come from the moon” and that “the linesman scored.”

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