Overview
- Borussia Mönchengladbach beat 1. FC Köln 3–1 in a derby marked by three penalties, two awarded after VAR reviews, prompting Köln coach Lukas Kwasniok to say he hates the system and Gladbach’s Eugen Polanski to back the criticism.
- Referee Deniz Aytekin defended the interventions, citing a clear knee contact and a handball he could not see live, while conceding Köln’s late penalty was harsh after he awarded it without VAR.
- Union Berlin had a goal erased for an offside measured in millimetres against Bayern, drawing Steffen Baumgart’s ire and further fueling concerns about precision calls that are barely visible.
- Elsewhere, a VAR-reviewed penalty in Stuttgart vs. Augsburg drew anger from defender Keven Schlotterbeck and coach Sandro Wagner, who argued the on-field decision was not a clear error.
- Pundit Lothar Matthäus urged the DFL to set uniform standards as ideas circulate to limit VAR to black‑and‑white cases, tweak offside or add coach challenges, while figures like BVB’s Lars Ricken oppose extra complexity and no rule change has been announced.