Dale Johnson, BBC Sport soccer points correspondent
The curiosity about this incident is that the aim was initially disallowed for the unsuitable purpose. Haaland was flagged offside when he should not have been.
However because it turned out, the aim ought to have been dominated out as a result of Fernandez was offside.
There may be one key a part of the offside legislation which applies to Fernandez right here. A participant is offside if they’re:
“Clearly trying to play a ball which is shut when this motion impacts on an opponent.”
Each components of that clause should be met. It’s potential for a participant in an offside place to aim to play a ball and never commit an offence – there should be impression on an opponent too.
Because the ball got here in, Fernandez threw himself to attempt to head it, with Martinez immediately behind him.
Video assistant referee Matt Donohue ought to ask himself if Fernandez’s motion would have influenced Martinez.
In different phrases: If Fernandez had not jumped for the tried header, would Martinez have made a distinct resolution over enjoying the ball?
If the ball had been out of attain for Fernandez, or for Martinez, then there may be an argument to present the aim.
And likewise: There would have been no offside had Fernandez made no try and play the ball.
However he did. And because it went only a yard in entrance of Martinez too, it is rather tough to argue Fernandez didn’t commit an offside offence.
There may be additionally an argument that the actions of Fernandez affect the positioning of goalkeeper Senne Lammens.
Nonetheless, the aim was initially dominated out for offside towards Haaland – which was incorrect. So that call needed to be overturned.
After which, the VAR ought to have despatched referee Michael Oliver to the monitor for the subjective offence by Fernandez.
It might have created the odd state of affairs the place a disallowed aim was reviewed to stay dominated out – however that is what ought to have occurred.
It was a transparent offside offence by Fernandez and can go down as a VAR mistake.
Was the VAR too involved with a potential contact by Fernandez?
In that case, did the VAR overlook that Fernandez was offside, and never think about the subjective offence? It appears to be probably the most logical clarification.
The same factor occurred in a sport between Arsenal and Brentford in February 2023 when a aim by an offside Christian Norgaard was not disallowed.